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THE "CAN-DO"
ROPE TRICK

by Speedy and
Flexy Flame

The object, Mrs. Home-
maker, is to prove that
you really can prepare a
scrumptious meal WITH
ONE HAND TIED BEHIND
YOU. . .in a New Freedom
gas - equipped kitchen.

Think what YOU could accom-
plish with BOTH hands . . . in
a time and work-saver like the
kitchen below with adjacent
laundry room (left). And how
you would enjoy the AUTO-
MATIC gas range, SILENT gas
refrigerator and UNLIMITED
hot water! By the way, what
color scheme would YOU choose
for this charming design?

V/e women like the cheery BLUE
FLAME that we can SEE. Gas is
so flexible, so easily controlled,
you can run the entire scale of
cooking temperatures as easily
as striking notes on a piano.
Modern gas cooking, refrigera-
tion and water service indeed
make home happier, assure NEW
FREEDOM from work and worry,
for you and me!

MOUNTAIN FUEL SUPPLY COMPANY

Serving Twenty-six Utah and Wyoming Communities

By DR. FRANKLIN S. HARRIS, JR.

'"Phe delta region which includes Can-
ton, China, is so crowded that
there are over three thousand people
for each square mile. With such press-
ing together on the land about two hun-
dred thousand of the people live in
boats.

Tt is estimated that Thomas Jefferson
wrote about 1 8,000 letters during his
life, and about 26,000 letters were writ-
ten to him.

A ncient Egyptian women at parties
wore lotus flowers in their hair,
trailing over their foreheads, and placed
a cake of scented ointment in a light
framework on their heads. The oint-
ment gradually melted and ran over the
head and down into the hair, giving off
a pleasant aroma and producing a sen-
sation of pleasant coolness.

4 :

HPhe hair spring of a watch is so-called

because hog bristles were first used.
In these early springs one end of the
short stiff bristle was made fast, and the
other bent back and forth by the bal-
ance as it swung to and fro, giving an
action like a small pendulum to keep
the watch running at the same rate.
Fine steel wire was soon substituted
and coiled to make it last longer.

An interesting method of stopping

sand from shifting has been de-
veloped at the Physico-Agronomical
Institute in Leningrad, Russia. A ton of
bitumen is sprayed over two and a half
acres of sand, consolidating the top
surface and preventing the sand from
moving. The surface lasts for three
years and will withstand winds up to
fifty miles an hour. For cultivation the
land can be treated in strips, or the
seeds planted under the treated layer.

fVNE species of skate in the Indian

Ocean grows to over eighteen feet
across its heart-like shape and may
weigh twelve hundred pounds. The
eggs laid are almost square with corners
forming curved points or horns.

Coda water and soda fountains get

their names from a beverage served
at least as early as the eighteenth cen-
tury consisting of a weak solution of
sodium bicarbonate with some acid to
cause effervescence. Common "soda
water" is now made by dissolving car-
bon dioxide gas under pressure.

JANUARY 1947

SOUP

Swoosh! It's the last exciting

down-mountain run of a thrill-packed

day . . . down, down to the goal. Then

refreshment at the lodge. And what for

lunch? Um-m-big steaming bowls of

Tomato Soup and a heap of those flaky,

appetizing Saltines by Purity.

There's a meal for

mountaineers!

UrtfftJL

T8ES -F8I.

F 8 ft 1 T Y 8 1 $ C U IT CO Wl P AN Y « $ A I T I ft K I

*Jke L^c

over

"rTlHE Tragedy of
Winter Quar-
ters" stands guard
over the little cemetery
at Florence, Nebraska.
It is the work of Dr.
Avard Fairbanks and
depicts the grief of
those called upon to
mourn the loss of their
loved ones, some six
thousand of whom died
en route from exposure
and travel hardships,
and nearly six hundred
of whom lie buried in
the Pioneer cemetery
at Florence. The sculp-
tor is himself a des-
cendent of some of
those Pioneers who lie
buried in the cemetery.
Formerly with the
Division of Fine Arts
at the University of
Michigan, he has re-
cently been appointed
head of the newly
created School of Fine
Arts at the University
of Utah.

This photograph was
adapted for cover use
by Charles Jacobsen.

Editors

George Albert Smith
John A. Widtsoe

Managing Editor

Richard L. Evans

Associate Editor

Marba C. Josephson

General Manager

George Q. Morris

Associate Manager

Lucy G. Cannon

Business Manager

John D. Giles

Editorial Associates

Elizabeth J. Moffitt
Albert LZobell, Jr.
Harold Lundstrom

National Advertising
Representatives

Francis M. Mayo,
Salt Lake City

Edward S. Townsend,

San Francisco and

Los Angeles
Dougan and Bolle,

Chicago and

New York

Member, Audit Bureau of
Circulations

QmprdTeiiieufbra

JANUARY 1947

VOLUME 50, NO. 1

"THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH"

Official Organ of the Priesthood Quorums, Mutual Improvement

Associations, Department of Education, Music Committee, Ward

Teachers, and Other Agencies of the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints

Greetings from the First Presidency

L^hurch +jrea£i

Ure5

The Presiding Bishopric Reorganized 10

How the Desert Was Tamed — Part I John A* Widstoe 14

The Joseph Smith Monument at South Royalton

A, G. Whitham 18

Formation of the Line of March Albert L. Zobell, Jr. 29

Evidences and Reconciliations: CXIH — Did Joseph Smith

Plan the Westward Migration of the Church?

John A. Widtsoe 33

Aaronic _ 44

No-Liquor-Tobacco Column. 43

Ward Teaching 45

Genealogy 46

Field Photos 64

Clipping Praises "Mormons" .... 4
Statement from Brigham Young
Concerning the Holy Ghost.... 5

The Church Moves On 30

Priesthood: Melchizedek 42

eatures

Special *jft

New Year Celebrations in Pioneer Times..E. Cecil McGavin 19

Let's Talk It Over Mary Brentnall 20

"Scouts of the World — Building for Tomorrow"

Rock M. Kirkham 21

Pilgrims of the West Jessie M. Sherwood 22

She Shall Lire Alvin D, Day 23

The Spoken Word from Temple Square Richard L. Evans 24

Elements of Success in the Classroom M, Lynn Bennion 28

Exploring the Universe, Frank-
lin S. Harris, Jr 1

Bread, R. A. McCance 3

These Times, G. Homer Durham 6

On Benjamin Franklin 8

Your Executor, Joseph H. Wes-
ton 9

Homing: Hunger for Beauty,
Irma Dovey 34

Help Your Red Cross 34

Cook's Corner, Josephine B.

Nichols 34

Handy Hints „ 35

I'm Not a Juvenile Delin-
quent, Eileen Gibbons 36

On the Bookrack ....40

Your Page and Ours 64

C~ditorial5

lonald

Centennial Horizon 32

Building Anew Marba C. Josephson 32

S5torie6} J-'oetru

Hole in the Rock — Chapter I Anna Prince Redd 16

Green Hill Far Away Dorothy Clapp Robinson 26

The "Vallev Forge" of Mormondom J. N. Washburn 48

Need, Helen Maring 4

Kneel to Rise, Pauline Tyson

Stephens — 6

The Lesson, Elaine V. Emans.... 8
Lights, Lalia M. Thornton 10

Frontispiece: Living Challenge,
Eva Willes Wangsgaard ....1 1

Poetry Page 41

Home, Miranda Snow Walton 51
In Old Nauvoo, Georgia Moore
Eberling 55

Change of Address:

Fifteen days' notice re-
quired for change of ad-
dress. When ordering a
change, please include
address slip from a
recent issue of the maga-
zine. Address changes
cannot be made unless
the old address as well as
the new one is included.

Executive and Editorial
Offices:

50 North Main Street,
Salt Lake City 1, Utah.

Copyright 1947 by Mu-
tual Funds, Inc., a Cor-
poration of the Young
Men's Mutual Improve-
ment Association of the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. All
rights reserved. Subscrip-
tion price, $2.00 a year,
in advance; 20c single
copy.

Entered at the Post
Office, Salt Lake City,
Utah, as second-class
matter. Acceptance for
mailing at special rate of
postage provided for in
section 1103, Act of Oc-
tober, 1917, authorized
July 2, 1918.

The Improvement Era
is not responsible for un-
solicited manuscripts, but
welcomes contributions.

All manuscripts must be
accompanied by suffi-
cient postage for delivery
and return.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

p>x«theu

You don't need Aladdin's lamp
when you wish truly wonderful
food. All you need to do is open
a handy jar of

LYNDEN Boned TURKEY

Here are the makings of the feast
— serve it in salads, hot dishes or in
sandwiches, just as it comes from
the jar.

The next time company drops in—
or when you wish to give your family
a treat, just try serving it this way:

'HutikeAf G<VUt Pudding

2 tbs. fat
2 tbs. flour
1 y2 cups mNk
1 y2 tsps. salt
Dash pepper
1 5y2-oz. jar
lynden Boned
Turkey

3 to 4 tbs. diced
green pepper
or finely sliced
pimiento

2 cups cooked
whole kernel
corn

3 eggs, beaten
separately

Make white sauce of fat, flour, milk,
seasonings.. Cook until thickened. Add
turkey, green pepper or pimiento, and
corn. Remove from heat. Stir a little of
the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks.
Add to rest of hot mixture. Fold in
stiffly beaten whites. Turn into greased
1 '/2 qt. casserole. Bake at 325° F. 1
hour, or until set. 4 servings.

BREAD

Artificial enrichment is undesirable
By R. A. McCance, M.D.

A major nutritional reform in the
British Isles during the shipping
crisis of 1940-1942 was adoption
of eighty-five percent extraction flour.
The change from seventy percent ex-
traction supplied B vitamins, a good
protein mixture and additional iron.
Maintaining a high extraction rate of
flour is easier, safer, and cheaper than
milling to low extraction and adding
synthetic substitutes, says R. A. Mc-
Cance, M.D., of the University of
Cambridge, England. Not all the valu-
able amino acids, minerals, and vitamins
removed with the outer parts of the
grain can be replaced, and artificial en-
richment is biologically and nutritional-
ly unsound.

The wheat grain consists of 12.3 per-
cent (by weight) hard, fibrous outer
layers, or bran; eighty-five percent en-
dosperm, containing protein and carbo-
hydrate; and 2.7 percent wheat germ,
high in phosphorus and thiamin. Other
constituents of the seed are fat, iron,
calcium, potassium, riboflavin, and
nicotinic acid.

Keeping-qualities of high extraction
flour are poor because of the presence
of wheat germ. Loaves from eighty-
five percent extraction flour become
moldy quicker than do the whiter, drier
loaves made from seventy percent flour.
These factors, important for large users,
seldom concern the housewife.

The public, and, therefore, the bakers
and millers, prefer flour producing a
white, lightweight loaf with large vol-
ume and uniform texture. Flour of this
type has "strength," a quality varying
in direct proportion to the protein con-
tent. Canadian wheat, with fourteen
percent protein, makes a strong flour;
English wheat, with eight to ten per-
cent protein, makes a weak flour, more
suitable for crackers than for bread.

The greater part of wheat protein is
supplied by the endosperm. A mixture
of bran and germ weakens flour for bak-
ing. From time immemorial, bakers have
discarded as much as possible of the
outer layer. With eighty-five percent
extraction most of the bran and much
of the mineral content are removed, but
the greater part of the germ and some
of the outer endosperm are retained
and iron and vitamins are not seriously
reduced. By seventy-five percent ex-
traction, the germ, including much thi-
amine, is removed. In flour of seventy
percent extraction, protein is almost as
abundant as in whole wheat.

•Abstract by Modern Medicine of "Bread" by R.
A. McCance, from Lancet 250:77-81. January 19. 1946.

THERE'S A
TRIP.

32 n

m \ M
**^ 1 \ I

I \ B \ #•> 1

- ,

^;\^ IN

A YODR6

"vAFUTUHE

$m&

gSi jl »>}>

There's no reason to delay
that trip you've wanted
to take. With Western
Pacific the future is now.
And W.P. travelers are
enjoying service that
measures up to the finest
traditions of American
rail travel.

When you go West go
Western Pacific.the direct
route to San Francisco.

For information call

H. R. COULAM, General Agent

48 South Main Street

Phone 4-6531

JANUARY 1947

Bye, baby bunting,
Daddy's gone a-hunting,
To get a little rabbit's skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.

Bye, baby bunting,
Daddy's back from hunting,
He landed 'baby' modern swag,
He has Fels-Naptha 'in the bag/

Even if a man can't

manage mink these days,

he might do a fair job

just keeping 'the little

woman' in Fels-Naptha.

To a housekeeper

faced with a big wash

this grand laundry soap is almost priceless.

There's magic in the simple word naptha— when
it's blended with good mild soap, the Fels way.
Magic that makes dirt do a disappearing act-
that makes your washing machine
a 'quick change' performer.

When buying laundry soap means hunting instead of
shopping— Fels-Naptha is the prize 'catch.'

:els -Naptha Soap

ban/shes"tattlb-tal£ gray

Clipping Praises
"Mormons"

From Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the
Council of the Twelve came this
interesting item from London Tit
Bits, October 18, 1946:

Good Health! We're Living
Like "Mormons"

"Decently published statistics have
raised one of the most astonishing
health mysteries in the history of mod-
ern medicine. They show that the
"Mormons"— -whom it should be added
are in these days almost entirely mono-
gamous— enjoy better health and im-
munity from disease than any other
community in the world. The "Mor-
mon"— or Latter-day Saint — figures
have been compared with the average
of the six leading nations of the world,
with the following result (the "Mor-
mon" figures are given second) :

Diseases of the circulatory

system 196 115

Kidney disease 44 23

Tuberculosis 120

Cancer 119 47

Diseases of the digestive

system 73 56

{The death rate of "Mormons"

is 8.1 compared with the

other nations 13.8.)

A partial explanation, but only par-
tial, is that Utah, where they live, has
an unusually healthy climate, more per-
tinent is the fact that the "Mormons"
strictly adhere to the rigid rules of
hygiene laid down by one of their
founders. Another point is the fact that
their rules of living permit no alcohol,
no tobacco or coffee, little meat, plenty
of fruit and vegetables. The "Mor-
mons" claim that anyone who follows
their health and living rules would have
as good a chance of escaping disease as
they have.

Certainly food conditions over here
help so far as the present difficulty of
obtaining spirits and cigarets are con-
cerned.

NEED
By Helen Mating

Truly I am a newcomer,
Trusting the hope and the word,
Need of the bounty of summer

Cries in my heart like a bird,
Need of the autumn's strange glowing,.

Need of the winter's white rime,
Need of the spring and the sowing,
And faith in the cycles of time.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Statement from vSriaham Ujl
L^oncerninq the

ount

HOLY GHOST

I would rather hear men tell their
own experience, and testify that Jo-
seph was a Prophet of the Lord, and
that the Book of Mormon, the Bible,
and other revelations of God are true;
that they know it by the gift and power
of God; that they have conversed with
angels, have had the power of the Holy
Ghost upon them, giving them visions
and revelations, than hear any other
kind of preaching that ever saluted my
ears. If I could command the language
and eloquence of the angels of God, I
would tell you why, but the eloquence
of angels never can convince any per-
son that God lives, and makes truth
the habitation of his throne, independ-
ent of that eloquence being clothed
with the power of the Holy Ghost; in
the absence of this it would be a com-
bination of useless sounds. What is it
that convinces man? It is the influence
of the Almighty, enlightening his mind,
giving instruction to the understanding.
When that inhabits the body, that
which comes from the regions of glory
is enlightened by the influence, power,
and Spirit of the Father of light, it
swallows up the organization which
pertains to this world. Those who are
governed by this influence lose sight
of all things pertaining to mortality;
they are wholly influenced by the pow-
er of eternity, and lose sight of time.
All the honor, wisdom, strength, and
whatsoever is considered desirable
among men, yea, all that pertains to this
organization, which is in any way in-
dependent of that which came from the
Father of our spirits, is obliterated to
them, and they hear and understand by
the same power and spirit that clothe
the Deity, and the holy beings in his
presence. Anything besides that influ-
ence, will fail to convince any person of
the truth of the gospel of salvation.
This is the reason why I love to hear
men testify to the various operations of
the Holy Spirit upon them — it is at once
interesting and instructive. When a sub-
ject is treated upon with all the calcula-
tion, method, tact, and cunning of men,
with the effusions of worldly eloquence,
before a congregation endowed with
the power of the Holy Ghost, and filled
with the light of eternity, they can un-
derstand the subject, trace its bearings,
place all its parts where they belong,
and dispose of it according to the un-
alterable laws of truth. This makes all
subjects interesting and instructive to
{Concluded on page 47)

JANUARY 1947

It's Got Everything

Jllll

■■«■■■■

&■;:;■

Everything You've Been Wanting
. . in a LOW-COST Tractor

• Why be satisfied with anything less complete, less convenient,
less capable, when you can get the Case "VAC" at a popular
price? It's the only tractor in its size and price class that gives you
as regular or optional equipment all of these things:

Full 2-row power, plenty for two plow bottom's under ordinary
conditions, one where plowing is tough. Four forward gear speeds,
to make the most of eager engine power in every field job and in
safe, swift hauling. Case valve-in-head engine that holds its steady
pull when throttled down, saves gear-shifting. Case full-swinging
drawbar that makes turns shorter, easier, with fjull load; locks
itself rigid when backing.

Cultivators for the "VAC" are up in front, easy to see. Culti-
vator, engine and axle all have big crop clearance.JHbydraulic lift
controls implements at a touch. Quick-dodge steering and sure-
footed traction for fast, close cultivation. Right-side belt pulley,
toe-touch turning brakes, deep-cushioned safety seat, electric
starter and lights — all make more comfort, more convenience.

Production of "VAC" tractors is in full swing, but thousands
of farmers want them. For latest information on tractors and
implements, see your Case dealer. J. I. Case Co., Racine, Wis.

The year around — regard-
less of time or season —
Mrs. J. G. McDonald's
world - famous chocolates
are part of the party. Just
add guests and serve . . .
for here is hospitality known
the world around. Yes, for
every occasion, Mrs. J. G.
McDonald's Chocolates al-
ways are in good taste.

OWKfO jjjj OPUATtD ir MIS 1 j, UiPOHMD tKP I KilL MiOOHUO

By DR. G. HOMER DURHAM

Director of the Institute of Government,
University of Utah

/""•an we turn to the "right"? Regardless
V* of the outcome of the 1946 con-
gressional elections in the United
States, history will probably record
this as one of the major questions of
the campaign. As the United States
and the Soviet Union face each other
across Europe, many persons state
their belief that a "right turn" is not
only necessary for the American do-
mestic economy, but also vital in
clarifying the issues — hence that
sought-for basis of non-compromising
cooperation instead of conflict — be-
tween ourselves and the Soviets.

tional Labor Relations Act) of 1935.
Sustained by the Supreme Court in
1937, this act requires each employer
in interstate commerce ( which includes
virtually every basic industrial activity)
to deal with organized labor if labor
wishes to organize in his plant. The
employer has no choice in the matter.
It is the law of the land. This is the
basis for the expansion of organized
labor to fifteen million members in
unions of nationwide scope.

'"Phe Democratic party, since 1933, has
claimed to be the world's cham-
pion of political democracy in meet-
ing the imperatives of industrial, col-
lectivizing society; in reconciling lib-
erty with "planning" and the gigantic
programs for modern public welfare.
The Republican party, beginning con-
certed opposition to the "New Deal"
with whispers of "communistic," in
1936, has increasingly charged that
democratic policies are leading down
the road to communism or socialism.
The 1946 congressional elections will
bear some long time scrutiny in terms
of public attitudes on this charge.
Prior to 1946, the fact that the Demo-
cratic party, while disavowing support
from socialist and communist groups,
nevertheless received and benefited
from them, has not seemed to impress
the majority of voters that there is
danger of the Democratic party lead-
ing the nation into socialism. The
strength of the "solid south" in the
last-named party has always afforded
some basis for this view.

"Cifteen million dues-paying mem-
bers, plus one wife or husband each,
totals thirty million. If they all were to
vote in a single national election, their
combined strength would approximate
thirty million votes. The greatest num-
ber of people ever to vote in a single
American election was forty-nine
million-plus (1940). It doesn't take a
course in differential calculus to deter-
mine that if thirty million people voted
as a unit, they would constitute a ma-
jority of forty-nine million.

Tn the meantime, Mr. Truman as
*■ President, appears to give the im-
pression that he, personally, would like
to follow a middle-of-the-road policy,
but that he dares not because of the
veto power which organized labor
holds over the Democratic party,
viewed as a national body.

A "turn to the right," nowadays, as-
^^ sumes the slackening of govern-
ment enterprise, a lessening of govern-
ment controls. Will Republican ma-
jorities in Congress slacken the pace,
lessen the controls? Take O.P.A. and
strikes, two favorite topics for exam-
ple.

T-Jeavy production always raises the

question of strikes. The basis for

the present phenomena in the field of

labor relations is the Wagner Act (Na-

Tt is a fact, however, that organized
labor does not vote as a bloc. It is
true that an overwhelming majority has
supported the Democratic party. (A
signal reason for past Republican fail-
ures to win elections is the size of that
labor vote, lost to Republicans largely
since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. )
But most of organized labor, with their
wives and voting children, at least
thirty million strong, would certainly
oppose repeal of the Wagner Act.

Can we get production? Can we
avoid strikes?

So far as the political answers to
these questions are concerned, with
O.P.A. and the Wagner Act involved,
the decisions rest largely with Ameri-
can workingmen in their labor organi-
zations. Any "turning right" will in-
volve their consent, or a considerable
portion thereof. This happens to be
one of the basic political facts of these
times. Is there a "right turn" for labor
that is really right? Right for labor?
Right for America? Right for the world
in the basic sense of goodness more
than a mere shift from any political
"left."?

This is the question of the hour.

■ ♦ ■

KNEEL TO RISE
By Pauline Tyson Stephens

IF thou wouldst rise to unknown heights.
Go on thy knees and pray;
For man in deep humility
Is on the upward way.

Yet heed the message further still:
Kneel down, but do not stay;
For when God speaks to thee, arise—
Stand ready to obey.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

BOOK S — For The Centennial Year
RECREATE The Adventure

KNOW The Pioneer Personalities

UNDERSTAND Their Motivation
All Captured In Great Books!

ADVENTURE:

LIFE AND TRAVELS OF PARLEY

P. PRATT 52.50

THREE MORMON CLASSICS ....$2.50
WESTWARD AMERICA $5.00

by Howard R. Driags

UTAH INDIAN STORIES $2.25

by Milton R. Hunter

FAITH-PROMOTING STORIES ....$1.00
THE EXODUS OF MODERN
ISRAEL $1.00

THEIR MOTIVATION:

PROPHECIES OF JOSEPH SMITH

AND THEIR FULFILLMENT $1.50

THE GOSPEL „ $1.00

by B. H. Roberts

HANDBOOK OF THE RESTORA-
TION $2.50

WORLD RELIGIONS IN THE

LIGHT OF MORMONISM $2.00

by Thomas C. Romney

UTAH, THE STORY OF HER
PEOPLE $2.75

by Milton R. Hunter

ADDED UPON $1.25

by Nephi Andersen

A VOICE FROM THE DUST $3.00

KEY TO THEOLOGY $1.00

by Parley P. Pratt

ORSON PRATT'S WORKS $2.50

SIGNS OF THE TIMES $1.25

by Joseph Fielding Smith

RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS..$1.75

by Joseph Fielding Smith

AN UNDERSTANDABLE

RELIGION $1.50

by John A. Widtsoe

IN THE GOSPEL NET $1.25

by John A. Widtsoe

PIONEER PERSONALITIES:

JOSEPH SMITH THE PROPHET $3.00

by Preston Nibley

JOSEPH THE PROPHET $1.50

by Daryl Chase

HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH . ..$2.50

by His Mother

BRIGHAM YOUNG, MAN AND

HIS WORK $2.50

by Preston Nibley

BRIGHAM YOUNG THE COLON-
IZER $3.00

by Milton R. Hunter

DANIEL H. WELLS $2.50

by B. S. Hinckley

LIFE OF HEBER C. KIMBALL $3.00

by Orson F. Whitney

SWEET LOVE REMEMBERED ..,$2.75

by Helen Cortex Stafford

LIFE OF JOSEPH F. SMITH $2.50

by Joseph Fielding Smith

WITNESSES OF THE BOOK OF

MORMON $2.25

by Preston Nibley

FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH:

BEN THE WAGON BOY .... $1.50

by Ifoward R. Driggs

- DENNIS AND THE MORMON

BATTALION $2.00

by Mabel S. Harmer
_. STORY OF THE MORMON PIONEERS ..$2.00

by Mabel S. Harmer

FROM PLOWBOY TO PROPHET $1.25

by Wm. A. Morton

PAHUTE INDIAN STORIES $1.75

by William R. Palmer

MUSICAL ADVENTURES .$1.25

by Moiselle Renstrom

RHYTHM FUN $1.00

by Moiselle Renstrom

MY PICTURE BOOK OF SONGS ....$2.50

Gay, Colorful, New

STORY TO TELL _ _ $2.08

YOUTH AND THE CHURCH $1.75

by Harold B. Lee

._._ SHORT HISTORY OF THE CHURCH .... .75

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ON
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Richard Saunders was the fictitious
compiler of the almanac which
Benjamin Franklin edited and pub-
lished from 1733 to 1758. But Poor
Richard soon became and will always
be Benjamin Franklin. Actually Frank-
lin invented some of his sayings, bor-
rowed more, and improved most of
them in brevity and pungency. Here
are a few of the thoughts that made
Poor Richard famous :

There is no little enemy.

The heart of the fool is in his mouth,
but the mouth of the wise man is in his
heart.

Do good to thy friend to keep him,
to thy enemy to gain him.

Approve not of him who commends
all you say.

A little house well filled, a little farm
well tilled, and a little wife well willed,
are great riches.

Poverty wants some things, luxury
many things, avarice all things.

A lie stands on one leg, trutli on two.

Sloth and silence are a fool's virtues.

The worst wheel of the cart makes
the most noise.

Search others for their virtues, thy-
self for thy vices.

He that falls in love with himself will
have no rivals.

Sin is not hurtful because it is forbid-
den, but it is forbidden because it is
hurtful.

He that sows thorns should not go
barefoot.

Anger is never without a reason, but
seldom with a good one.

There was never a good knife made
of bad steel.

The doors of wisdom are never shut.

Half a truth is often a great lie.

THE LESSON
By Elaine V. Emans

Now I have learned that unspecific prayer
Such as, "Lord, help me through this
darkened way
Into the sun again," or "In thy care
I lay my problem," rather than to say,
"Please send me this," or "Let that come

about"
Is wiser and more trusting, and more blest
With answer. I have learned to pray with-
out
Telling the Father how, when he knows
best.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

our

(L^xecwtor

• By JOSEPH H. WESTON

DID you ever think about your estate,
that is, the aggregate of your
property and affairs at the time of
your possible death?

If the friend, relative, or trust com-
pany that you have selected as your
executor were today called upon to do
his duty, what would be expected of
him? How much of a job would the
winding up of your affairs be? How

accurate inventory of them. Liquidate
the less desirable assets to provide
funds for taxes, claims, legacies, and
similar cash requirements, unless the
will otherwise directs.

Take charge of all businesses in-
cluded in the estate. Arrange for their
management, sale, liquidation, or dis-
tribution.

Determine whether securities ought
to be sold or retained, observing, how-
ever, the provisions of the will.

Consider all claims against the
estate and proceed to contest with liti-
gation any that are unjust or improper.

Prepare state inheritance and federal
estate tax returns, and settle these
liabilities.

— Drawing by Charles Jacobsen

much of his time would it take? Would
you be conferring an honor or a
drudgery upon him?

Here are a few of the steps necessary
in settling an estate:

Locate the will of the deceased. As-
certain if it is the last one which he
executed. File it in probate court.

Present proof to the court as to" the
legal heirs. Make application for letters
testamentary and the oath of the exec-
utor.

Assemble all personal assets of the
deceased, take possession of them and
hold them safely.

Withdraw bank deposits. Assemble
securities that were owned by the de-
ceased. Arrange for the collection of all
interest and dividends due.

Take charge of the real estate. Deter-
mine the situation as to taxes and mort-
gages against the property. Inspect the
property to learn its condition. Ar-
range for its management and the col-
lection of rents or other income.

File necessary papers and collect all
life insurance policies that have been
made payable to the estate.

Collect any debts due the estate.
Proceed with litigation in this capacity,
if necessary.

Evaluate all assets and maintain an

JANUARY 1947

Maintain at all times an itemized
statement of all transactions, which is
to be later submitted to the probate
court for approval.

Pay legacies. Deliver specific be-
quests that are authorized in the will.
. Defend the will in court if it is con-
tested.

Submit a final accounting and report
to the court.

These, then, are the principal steps in
settling an estate. The more property
and the more widespread your interests,
the greater the details involved in set-
tlement following your death.

These are the things that you would
be called upon to do if a friend or rela-
tive named you as his executor. This is
what you demand of a friend or relative
when you name him for this position
of responsibility.

All this, plus the complicated manner
in which property is often held these
days, plus the great amount of liquida-
tion frequently necessary to settle in-
heritance and estate tax demands, ex-
plains the rapid devolution of most of
this business during the past two dec-
ades onto the shoulders of trust com-
panies and lawyers who are especially
trained in this field.

Like jury duty, however, this task
might fall to any responsible citizen.
Are you ready?

Prelude to a
"GOODNIGHT*

As you open the door of your
room at the Hotel Utah, after a busy
or festive evening, there's real sat-
isfaction in seeing that your bed
has been turned down, a soft night
lamp cheerfully glowing.

This is our way of saying to you
"a good night to you, and pleasant
dreams." It is but one of many
extra services which we try to pro-
vide for your complete enjoyment
of your stay at the Hotel Utah.

Yes, today as always —

You're Welcome
At the
Utah!

VL PRESIDING BISHOPRIC &

eomaviize

■ IS .^ :: ::;-:■!:;■'■:;:

70SFPH L. WIRTHLIN
first Counselor

LE GRAND RICHARDS
Presiding Bishop

THORPE B. ISAACSON
Second Counselor

The reorganization of the Pre-
siding Bishopric, made neces-
sary by the death of Bishop
Marvin O. Ashton last October 7,
was accomplished December 14,
when the First Presidency an-
nounced that Bishop Joseph L.
Wirthlin, formerly second counsel-
or, had been advanced to first coun-
selor, and Thorpe B. Isaacson had
been chosen as the new second
counselor to Presiding Bishop Le
Grand Richards.

Bishop Wirthlin is well known in
every corner of the Church. He was
first sustained as second counselor
in the Presiding Bishopric at the
general conference in April 1938,
when Presiding Bishop LeGrand
Richards was first sustained. He was
then the president of the Bonneville
Stake. In the years that have fol-
lowed, Bishop Wirthlin has traveled
throughout the Church, attending
the stake quarterly conferences as
a member of the Presiding Bishopric.
He is now advanced to the position
of first counselor to Bishop Richards.

Bishop Isaacson has been the first
counselor in the Yale Ward bishop-
ric of the Bonneville Stake in Salt
Lake City for the past five years.
Prior to that he was a member of the
stake Sunday School board and
president of his elders' quorum.

He brings to his new position a
love of youth and of mankind which
is fortified by the experience of fif-
teen years as an athletic coach,
teacher, and superintendent of
schools in Utah and Idaho. In his
10

own basketball days at Snow Col-
lege in his home town of Ephraim,
Utah, he was selected as an all-state
basketball guard. His interest in
sports has led him to a knowledge
of fishing, baseball, and golf. And
what boy does not like a leader who
knows the feel of a fish on the end of
his line, or enjoys hearing the crack
of the baseball on the bat when the
bases are loaded and the score is
tied? Bishop Isaacson, as a member
of the Presiding Bishopric, will as-
sist in the direction of the Aaronic
Priesthood activities of the Church.

In recent years one of his Church
hobbies has been the adult members
of the Aaronic Priesthood. He
knows of their problems and sym-
pathizes with them. He now finds
that he has been assigned the wel-
fare of these men, as the specific du-
ties of the members of the Presiding
Bishopric are broken down.

In height and appearance he
stands as a man among men, and his
personality matches that height. To

• Q ■

LIGHTS
By Lalia Mitchell Thornton

r like to stand on a lonely hill
*- And look to the stars above;
But on wintry nights, 'tis the window lights,
The lights of town that I love.

And I would sail on a vessel fine,

With the moon a beacon fair,
Though with sea for dower I should wish
each hour

That lights of the town were there.
I fain would visit the cities great,

That in books have won renown,
But if forced to leave, I should always
grieve,

For window lights of the town.

be in the same room with him is to
catch his enthusiastic yet humble ap-
proach to a problem. To hear him
describe a project is to create the
desire to get behind it and see it
through to completion.

Bishop Isaacson left the field of
education about ten years ago to
enter the insurance business. There
he rose rapidly, and at the time of
his appointment in the Presiding
Bishopric he was general agent of
the Lincoln National Life Insurance
Company for the territory embrac-
ing Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, Two
years ago the president of his com-
pany designated him as the outstand-
ing life insurance man in America.

Bishop Isaacson was born Sep-
tember 6, 1 898, at Ephraim, Utah, a
son of Martin and Mary Beal Isaac-
son. After attending the schools and
Snow College there, he continued
his educational pursuits at Brigham
Young University, Utah State Agri-
cultural College, and the University
of California. He is now a member
of the board of trustees of the Utah
State Agricultural College, Logan,
and as such is charged with the
school's athletic program.

His wife is the former Lulu
Maughan Jones, whom he met while
teaching school. They have two
children. Mrs. Joyce Isaacson Tribe,
and Elder Richard Alonzo Isaac-
son who is now serving in the New
England Mission.

The Church welcomes and sus-
tains Bishop Thorpe B. Isaacson in
his new calling.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

'Photograph
bg
Eva Luoma

omething immortal is around me here.
In earth and air, yet nowhere visible,

It burns and throbs and clings. Each pioneer
Contributed a part before he fell
A victim of his own mortality.
I've felt it lift my chin and make me climb
The one step more which raised my eyes to see
A ray that pierced the velvet folds of time.

Eva Willes
Wangsgaard

The hut inadequate, the implement

Handmade and crude, and measured food — the voiced
And written word have traced the way they went.
They loved, gave birth; they sorrowed and rejoiced;
And, passing on, with mortal hands they threw
Something immortal back for me and you.

JANUARY 1947

-K

Greetings

-mm

PWSIDENT L REUBEN CLARK, J>

PRESIDENT DAVID O.

McKAY

PRESIDENT GEORGE ALBERT SMITH

•NCE again "the inaudible and noiseless
foot of Time" marks the passing of
another year. Once again we approach the most
important of all celebrations — the anniversary of
the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, which connotes,
as does no other event in all history, Peace and
Good Will.

Looking in retrospect over the last twelve months,
members of the Church have good cause for grati-
tude for progress made and success achieved.
Membership has increased — seven new stakes and
fifty-two new wards have been organized — pros-
pects are brighter for building materials for much
needed chapels — necessary finances are available
for the erection of such edifices, also for temple
work, for all phases of welfare work, for Church
schools, for the furthering of priesthood and aux-
iliary activity, and for the promulgation of the
gospel at home and abroad. Of the thirty-eight
missions organized before the war, thirty-six are
now functioning, and appointments are under ad-
visement for the opening of the other two, and the
establishing also of two new missions as soon as

conditions are more propitious. Evidences of un-
daunted faith in the restored gospel, and of in-
creased spirituality are manifest by individuals and
organizations in all parts of the Church — in the
Americas, in Europe, and in the islands of the
Pacific.

True, the enemy of all righteousness is also ac-
tive. Whenever he discovers a weakness in the
ranks of the faithful, he strikes and strikes hard,
but his attacks are becoming more and more im-
potent.

Glancing at the world in general, we see peoples
in war-torn nations destitute, discouraged, dis-
tracted, and yearning for peace. Common people
everywhere are sick of war. Twice in a generation
the cruelties, the beastliness of war have sickened
the heart of the civilized world. Even though we
think we know the causes, and supposedly the justi-
fications of these worldwide holocausts, the fact
that they have occurred in the center of so-called
Christian lands has caused millions to lose faith in
the nearness of the millennium, and shattered con-
fidence in their fellow men. There is a general feel-

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

The First

ing among the masses that something is wrong in
the politics of the world and in the social and indus-
trial relations of men, that war is not the solution
of existing problems. Undoubtedly, there are to-
day more people in the world than ever before who
are ready to heed the admonition of the Lord given
through the Prophet Joseph Smith — "Renounce war
and proclaim peace." The futility of war as a
remedial factor of social and political ills is becom-
ing more and more apparent. It is timely, therefore,
while the recent spread of barbarism and violence
over Europe and the Orient is still shocking the
sensibilities of humanity, for the nations to seek as
never before ways and means of renouncing war
forever.

The nineteenth century was marked by a decline
in faith in God and an increased faith in science.
The accomplishments of science seem to be limit-
less. In many ways it has made life more comfort-
able and beautiful, but it has also made life hideous.
Though it brings into our homes the music of the
spheres, at the same time it slays defenseless women
and children indiscriminately. Manifestly, it cannot
save mankind from wars, but it can annihilate the
human race. The promise of science for human
benefits, and particularly as an assurance of peace,
is now questioned.

Faith in God is the first essential to peace. It is
folly for the United Nations now seeking ways and
means to permanent peace to exclude the idea of
God from their deliberations. Only through an
acknowledgment of the Divine Being as Father can
the sense of human brotherhood have potency.
Only thus can life have purpose and humanity as
a whole live in peace.

With faith in God must be associated the realiza-
tion that peace springs from the individual heart.
"He that will love life, and see good days, ... let
him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace,
and ensue it." Jesus taught that "a man's duties to
himself and to his fellow men are indissolubly con-
nected." His idea was to have each individual
imbued with faith in God, with desires to live up-
rightly, and to deal justly with his fellow men;
then a thousand, ten thousand, such individuals
grouped together would constitute a community of
worshipful, peace-loving human beings. A thou-

SIDENCY

of the Church of /4e5ws diridt
of cJ-atter-daiA J^aintd

sand such communities would make a nation; and
a hundred such nations, a world!

Peace, therefore, is an individual acquisition, a
family duty, a community attainment, a national
possibility, a world conquest.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
is in the world to establish peace among mankind.
Though brute power, greed, and lust are today,
as in the past, dominant forces in civilization, yet
followers of the Prince of Peace must not despair;
for in the fulfilment of God's purposes "Peace, un-
weaponed, conquers all."

Approximately three thousand missionaries —
many of them but recently discharged from the
military forces of their country — are now contribut-
ing their time, ability, and means to the promul-
gating of peace. Two hundred thousand men and
boys who have been ordained to the priesthood are
enlisted in the same great cause. Members of the
Church everywhere, in every land and clime where
the message of the restored gospel has been ac-
cepted, are under obligation to live at peace with
their families, their neighbors, and mankind, that
through their daily acts, they will demonstrate to
the world that they accept in reality the message
of the angels: "Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward men."

With this greeting, we send our sincere prayer
that peace and the blessings of the Lord that fol-
low may abide in the hearts and homes of members
of the Church everywhere, and of honest men and
women the world over.

The First Presidency

JANUARY 1947

HOW THE DESERT WAS TAMED

~vv oLeMoti for -Jodau and Jc

omowow

WHY THIS ESSAY ~™~~

'Phe invasion and conquest of the arid section
A of the United States have become an Ameri-
can classic. Historian and romancer alike have
paid eloquent tribute to the courage and forti-
tude of the people who led the way successfully
into the desert places of the United States. In
song and story, in bronze and marble, the heroic,
unparalleled, path-breaking, often tragic trek of
tens of thousands into the valleys of the Rocky
Mountains has been acclaimed. Its successes and
failures have been recorded in minutest detail.
It forms a glorious chapter of victory in the
annals of our land.

Along the trail of the Pioneers has arisen a
western empire of many states of the Union. In
their building, they have borrowed help from
the lessons learned by the courageous companies
that first entered unflinchingly into battle in a
new and arid section of the land.

Though this be true, though our schoolbooks
tell the story, there has been only casual refer-
ence to the principles put into action to win suc-
cess in the battle with aridity.

As these principles, which lie imbedded in the
work of the pioneers, were used, conquest and
progress raised their heads. It is curious that in
the abundant literature concerning the settlement
of the Great Basin of North America, and the
surrounding territory, only scattered attempts

have been made to discover the real causes of
the success attending the pioneers in their battle
with arid conditions. We have been content to
know what they did, rather than how the thing
was done.

This essay grew out of an attempt to dissect
the pioneer achievements and to discover one
by one the causes, which acting together, made
"the desert blossoms as the rose." As these were
revealed, they were, as might be expected, sim-
ple, of general use, and known from antiquity.
They reveal, also, the things of the spirit which
made the pioneers willing to risk their lives and
happiness in the westward venture.

As the writing proceeded, the marvel grew that
unhappy man, battling bloodily today — and yes-
terday— for only heaven knows what, will not
use these principles everywhere, to give place to
peace and plenty, and make a world "good to
live in." The lesson of the pioneers is for today
and tomorrow. The past has done its work.

This is a life-giving theme to which scholars
should give profound study. This essay or
sketch is but the briefest approach to the subject.

The word pioneer, as here used, refers to those
who from July 1847 to May 1869, before the
railroad came, entered on foot, with handcart or
by ox team, into the Salt Lake valley and sur-
rounding valleys, plains, and plateaus, to bend
them to man's will.

There Lies the Desert

The temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, had been
completed and dedicated. Some ordi-
nance work had been done within its
walls. It was the largest, costliest, and archi-
tecturally the most interesting building in the
state. From the hill on which it stood, it over-
looked the orderly city — the largest in Illinois
— and it caught the sheen of the stately rolling
Mississippi which held the city in a curved
embrace.

Sadness and anxiety were in the air this
autumn of 1 845. Men and women, doing their
daily work, looked questioningly, prayerfully,
hopefully up to the temple, which they had
built in faith to Almighty God. The temple,
itself, with its upward reaching tower, seemed
to brood over the destiny of Nauvoo, the city
beautiful, which had been built, amidst toil
and sacrifice, within seven years, on swampy
land thought unfit for use. Had all been in
vain?

In the window of an upper room of the
temple, the glow of candlelight could be seen
far into the night. There a group of men, lead-
ers of the Church, were assembled. A little
more than a year before, their prophet and
president, with his brother Hyrum, had been
murdered in cold blood, by jealous and un-
friendly citizens of neighboring villages. Not
yet satisfied, these enemies now demanded
that the Latter-day Saints leave Nauvoo and
the state. The demand was accompanied by
rapine and arson. For over a year the matter
had been discussed. At length the conclusion
had been reached that the proposed surrender
of homes and temple was inevitable. The
brethren were now within the sacred temple
walls discussing how the evacuation could be
made, and where the new settlement was to be.

It was agreed that the new location must be
one where the people would be left alone until
firmly established. That probably meant some
place not generally desired by homeseekers.
Where was such a place to be found?

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

m±

^ «2V. Jain ^J. VJllh

l5oe

E COUNCIL OF TWELVE

Vancouver Island had been suggested by
English missionaries and converts. It was far
away; surrounded by water, therefore some-
what inaccessible; and not likely for many
years to be invaded by others. British official-
dom had intimated that the "Mormons" would
be welcome on Vancouver Island, for anti-
"Mormon" prejudice had not yet reached
much development in the British Isles, and
John Bull was much interested in colonizing
his many vacant lands. In his possessions were
people of all colors, faiths, and practices. He
was not afraid of "Mormons."

Several of the brethren pointed to Texas,
with its vast unoccupied lands, its fertile soils,
and easy climate. Some of them had visited
the new state and were full of enthusiasm
for it. It was easy to reach. The problems of
moving a city full of people, twenty thousand
of them, were more easily solved there than
anywhere else.

HThen there was the Far West. No one really
knew much about it. Certain it was that
there was plenty of land in the West, and
that it would be possible there to settle far
from disturbing neighbors. But, at best, to
take thousands of people there seemed haz-
ardous.

Nevertheless, the Prophet Joseph Smith
had said that the time would come that the
Latter-day Saints would be driven to the
Rocky Mountains, and would build cities
there. The Rocky Mountains were in the
West! The flame of faith in the hearts of the
men in the Nauvoo Temple room rose higher.
The die was cast. The people would settle
in the West. The Lord of hosts would help
them find the place.

Having made the decision and won the ap-
proval of the people, they set about as intelli-
gent and reasonable groups to learn all about
the Far West. Sometime before, an expedi-
tion to explore the West had been proposed,
but the chaotic conditions of the times had
delayed the consummation of that plan, and
now the day of departure was forced upon
them earlier than expected.

There was, of course, some fairly depend-
able, though very general knowledge of the
West. For at least a quarter of a century trap-
pers had been there. British, French, and
Americans had been among them. Smith,
Ogden, Bridger, and others were familiar
names around American firesides. These men

JANUARY 1947

had brought back news about the vast and
dimly-known western territory. Often, their
stories were exaggerated, and grew in the
telling; yet there was nearly always a modicum
of truth in each of them.

Moreover, the Oregon Trail had been
traveled by homeseekers for nearly a decade.
Returning pioneers over the trail had made
parts of the West somewhat familiar to the
public. Captain B. L. E. Bonneville had spent
several years of the 1830's in the West, and
had made reports of the conditions found
there. Captain John C. Fremont's report to
Congress of his expeditions to California was
in possession of the Nauvoo expatriates, and
gave greatest help. The temple group studied
it. Especially was the accompanying map of
interest. Faulty as it was, it is remarkable how
well the main geographical points are located.

1U[ore and more the Salt Lake valley seemed
best for the great venture. It was off the
Oregon Trail, which turned north near Fort
Bridger towards the Snake and Columbia
rivers. The Salt Lake valley was held to be
part of a great desert. Homeseekers would
pass it by for the fertile, well-watered coast-
lands. Fremont's careful day by day reports
spoke rather well of the country immediately
around the Great Salt Lake. On the westward
migration, the Salt Lake region would at least
be inspected.

There was some doubt, of course, about the
value of some parts of the West. Several
maps of the Far West, based on existing data,
had been published, such as the Bonneville
map of 1837; the Chapin map of 1839; the
Robert Greenhow map of 1840; and the J.
Calvin map of 1 843. All these showed a vast
area west of the Rocky Mountains, usually
including the Salt Lake region, as a "great
desert" or "great sandy plain." At best, it
was not an inviting place to go. At best, there
might lurk in any settlement dangers that the
transient trapper, or casual traveler had not
properly appraised.

In the temple room, and of course in the
homes of the people, the West and the exist-
ing knowledge of it, were discussed, and no
doubt argued.

The notable matter is, however, that, after
earnest consideration and prayer, the deci-
sion had been reached, to move as a body
westward; the leaders and the people sought
out all available knowledge concerning the
Great West, and discussed even such items
as irrigation, which the explorers had not
mentioned, or discussed very casually.

This would be the natural, intelligent ap-
proach to so great a venture. Knowledge
would help frustrate many chances of defeat.
The procedure to learn as much as possible

{Continued on page 60)

'" M

HOLE IN THE

ROCK

Beginning a Stirring New Serial

i5u ^Alnna Jinnee iKedd

Chapter I

eseret News! Deseret tele-
graph News!"

The cry, snatched away
by a gust of wind, left a stillness that
was broken only by the staccato of
swiftly running feet.

Mary Jones ran to the door and
opened it. In the street, women and
children were hurrying after the
racing news crier. Old men shook
their heads and peered from their
doorways to see where the boy was
going, anxious to learn the import of
his news. Behind Mary, four other
women waited, knowing from the
tone of the young crier's voice that
the news was not good. And with
every tick of the clock, they conjured
a new pioneer terror.

"It's Henry Lunt!" Mary cried.
"It's the telegraph operator's broth-
er, and he's coming here!"

Sage Treharne Jones leaned for-
ward anxiously, and the other wom-
en crowded close. "Yes," she said,
waiting, frail and old, against the
afternoon sun, "yes, he's coming
here." And almost before the boy
reached the sandstone step of her
house, she had him by the coat collar,
pleading, "Young Henry, what have
you come to tell?"

"It's a new mission, Sister Jones,"
Henry Lunt cried. "Another new
mission! Un — un — your son, Kumen,
was the first one called!"

Mary screamed. Her mother and
the four other women pressed
against her, and Mary clung to them
for support.
16

Old men shook their
heads and peered from
their doorways.

"Shame on you, Henry," Elsie
Nielson said angrily. "Coming here
just to scare a bunch of women. See
what you have done to Mary and
Sister Jones!"

"I didn't come to scare them,"
Henry said earnestly. "It's true,
what I said, Miz Nielson. Every
word is true!"

"Henry," Sage Treharne im-
plored, "tell us how you know."

There was no doubt in her eyes,
no hysteria in her voice, but she
sounded old, and very, very tired.

"It's — it's a new mission, Sister
Jones," Henry repeated, proud of
the sensation he was causing. "Pres-
ident John Taylor, he — my sister
Ellen, she — ■"

Unable to stand his stuttering an-
other second, Sage Treharne slapped
his cheek, waited for his astonished
mouth to' close, and then said sooth-
ingly: "Now, Henry, tell us."

Shocked at the indignity of being
slapped by someone not his mother,
Henry stood his ground sulkily. His
black, close-cut hair bristled above
his black eyes and his straight eye-
brows. In all his twelve years of
growing up on the frontier, he had
never looked so much like a young
Indian.

"I told you once," he said. "Can't
you understand?"

'Yes, Henry," Sage said patient-
ly, "I understand. I only want you
to tell us how you know that we have
been called. Who brought the
word?"

"President Taylor's secretary sent
it," Henry explained. "He had the
telegraph operator in St. George —

where they're having the conference
— operate it to Parowan, and Paro-
wan operated it to my sister Ellen
down here, and she sent me off to
spread the news!"

Relishing the silence that fell at
his words, Henry watched the five
women in the doorway, and won-
dered which one would faint. It
wouldn't be Mary or her sister Julia,
they were too young. It could be
Mrs. Arabella Smith, because she
was going to have a baby and was
awful white. But more likely it would
be one of the older women, Miz
Jones, or Miz Nielson. And even
that didn't seem too promising, so
he might just as well be off down
the street startin' more excitement.

He jumped backward down the
step and turned to run. Then he saw
the crowd that had gathered in the
dooryard, and at once he became the
news crier again, important and
terrible.

"It's a new mission," he shouted,
pointing his finger, and jumping to-
ward them, stiff-legged. "To the
Indians. The murderin' scalpin* In-
dians!"

Then away he raced, crying,
"Deseret News! Deseret telegraph
News!"

And the crowd followed him.

HToo dazed for speech, Sage Tre-
harne sank down on a treasured,
spindle-legged old chest that stood
by the door. She gripped the metal
buttons on her basque and let the
tears fall quietly. ,.'

"Kumen's dream," she muttered.
"My son's dream. . . ."

"Yes," Mary said, staring in-
credulously at her mother-in-law,
sitting there on her precious chest as
if it were a common, homemade
chair. "Yes, Mother Jones," she re-

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA.

peated, "I know what you mean. I
didn't believe you when you said
that Kumen's dream would come
true, but now I know that it will.
Kumen has known that it would.
He's been waiting for more than a
year."

There was dull misery in Mary's
young voice, and questioning, rebel-
lious pain in her heart. She turned
to her own mother and said broken-
ly, "Mother, what can we do — what-
ever can we do?"

"We will just go on," Elsie Niel-
son answered, taking her daughter's
hand. "Whatever comes, will be met
somehow. Right now we have a quilt
to finish."

"Yes, we had best get on with it,"
Mary said, but she made no move to
do so. Her eyes stared after the rac-
ing news crier. And when his voice
was no longer a part of the March
wind, she closed the door and stood
against it.

Elsie Nielson went over to the
quilt and patted it absently, almost
as if it were Mary, herself. There
was a faraway look in her eyes. She

JANUARY 1947

watched Mary standing there, be-
wildered and frightened, and it
brought back the pain and sadness
of her own pioneer years. Two small
graves on a lonely plain ... a long,
tired line of handcarts, slowly, slow-
ly moving on. Time and peace had
dulled these memories, but would
never efface them. If only she could
shield Mary from what lay ahead!
This call would change her life as
surely as an undercurrent changes
the course of a river. There would
be no new home for Mary, now, no
quiet, tranquil days. They would
finish this pretty quilt and put it
away, just as they would put away
their finished dreams.

"Come on and quilt, Mary," she
said tenderly. "You can do no good,
standing there."

Mary went over to the quilt,
threaded a needle, tied a knot in the
end of the thread, bit it off, and tied
another. Three times they watched
her tie as many knots and as many
times bite them off. Then Sage
Treharne unlocked her cramped
fingers and went to Mary's side at
the quilt.

"No Redskin is going to stop me
from making a quilt," she scolded,
taking the needle from Mary's aim-
less hand. "And," she laughed
shakily, "no new-fangled telegraph
messages, either."

Puckering her face at the unwill-
ingness of her rheumatic joints, she
began to quilt. "Thread yourself a
new needle, Mary," she said. "And
don't bite the thread; it wears your
teeth down."

Mary watched Sage Treharne's
needle as it flashed in the last cold
rays of the afternoon sun, then she
threaded another needle, placed the
point on the marked pattern and
took a slow careful stitch. . . .

and there was a stir in the air — not
just because it was spring, but be-
cause there was to be a conference in
St. George, a small, pioneer town
sixty miles away. Conference at any
time of the year was an event in
Utah, but after the idleness and the
isolation of the long winters, it was
not only an event, it was also a festi-
val, a fervent, religious pageant that
held the scattered communities to-
gether and strengthened their faith.

But the spring of 1879 had come
too early to permit of the usual mass
migration, and only the men were
planning to go. The roads were
little more 'than wheel tracks in the
mud, or scratches on the lava rocks.
Vehicles were scarce and had to be
used sparingly, so the young men
rode their horses, leaving the few
light buggies and wagons for the
use of the Church leaders.

In the brittle darkness before the
dawn of March 15, the young men
of Cedar City were ready to leave
for the conference. Muffled against
the cold, their pockets stuffed witk
packets of yarrow and sage, hanks
of wool yarn, and packets of seeds,
they gathered, fifty of them, to lead
the procession of buggies and wag-
ons that carried the Church leaders.
Frost clung to their beards and
crisped their breaths. The breeze
that came with the morning light was
fragrant with the smell of sap and
{Continued on page 57)

T ocked in the ice and cold of the
long winter of 1 879, Cedar City
had lain for months in snow that
clung in frozen banks to the low,
adobe houses and around the roots
of the cottonwood trees that fringed
the sidewalks and the creeks. Rows
of furrowed earth stood starkly out
of the snow patches in the near-by
fields. Cattle shivered on the river
banks, or stood huddled together un-
der sheds and hungry barns. Wom-
en and children and the old men
stayed indoors by the roaring log
fires in their open hearths.

Then, suddenly, it was spring,

Serge Treharne
looked at Mary in
wonder. There were
times when she
could see why her
son had married
this Danish girl of
so much vitality.

Vke JOSEPH SMITH MONUMENT

In the spring of 1894, the quiet lit-
tle community of South Royal-
ton, nestling in a right hand
pocket of the beautiful White River
valley of Vermont, was electrified by
the advent into its midst of a western
gentleman of the old school — cour-
teous, kind, courageous, enterpris-
ing, educated Junius F. Wells. He
had been called by the Authorities
of the Church to erect a monument
at the birthplace of the Prophet Jo-
seph Smith. This was a mission dear
to his heart, and when your heart is
in something you wish to do, you do
it with all your might to make it a
success. That was Junius Wells; he
was indefatigable in finding just
what he wanted to make his life's
project a success. He did it.

At first there was some stir of op-
position in Vermont, when it became
known what Junius Wells had come
to do. Some regarded it as a slur on
the community. They did not favor
having such a monument erected in
Vermont, but no one could long en-
tertain hard feelings where Junius
Wells was concerned. He won the
esteem and outright affection of
everyone he approached. Children
on the way to school would watch
for Junius Wells, run to meet him,
glad to be spoken to by him. The re-
markable thing was that he seldom
forgot the name of any child he met
— he knew them all. The boys as
well as the girls were welcomed by
their own first names. It also had to
be admitted that Vermont really was
the original starting point of this re-
ligion that had grown and blossomed
in the Salt Lake valley to such vast
proportions. Their second great
leader, Brigham Young, came from
the little town of Whitingham down
in the southern part of Vermont.

The old farmhouse wherein Jo-
seph Smith first saw the light of day
was located on Dairy Hill. Through-
out the spring, Junius, his horse
"Old George," and the top buggy
were a familiar sight as he drove
back and forth from his hotel to
Dairy Hill and vicinity. He had a
busy time looking up land titles and
boundaries. When Joseph Smith
was born, the farmhouse was located
in Sharon, but it was later discovered
that the boundary between Royal-
18

l\oviaito,

JUDGE A. G. WHITHAM

7V news ITEM recently appeared
"^^in this paper that William H.
Reeder, Jr., president of the New
England Mission of the Church of
Jesus Christ, Latter-day Saints of
America, had effected purchase of the
Lottie J. Salter premises on the
Chelsea road, South Royalton, for a
religious center and mission of the
Great Salt Lake Church, sometimes
called the 'Mormon' Church of Utah.

"The foregoing article was pre-
pared by Judge A. G. Whitham, who
at the time referred to was a law
graduate in the office of Tarbell and
Whitham. He is now advanced in
years, but remembers well his asso-
ciation with Junius Wells in helping
to clear titles and arrange for details
of the enterprise. Judge Whitham
still holds a very high regard for
Elder Wells.—/. D."

— Vermont newspaper, Vol. LXXI —
No. 52—3749; White River Valley
Herald of September 27, 1945.

ton and Sharon had been changed
more than once by various surveys
made at intervals. The town line as
finally established runs outside the
foundations of the old house, close
to the old cellar wall which remained
standing. The site of the monument
was determined to be just over the
town line in Sharon.

It took Junius some little time to
find what he wanted in the way of a
stone for the monument. He was
looking for a piece of granite large
enough to cut to proper form and be
thirty-eight and one-half feet long —
a foot for each year of the Prophet's
life. It is symbolical, perhaps, that
the big stone was finally located on
the quarry ground of the far-famed
Marr and Gordon quarry, Barre,
Vermont. It was a stone forty-six

feet long from which the main shaft
of the monument was cut and
worked to completion. It is one of
the finest [and perhaps the tallest]
single shaft of polished granite ever
to be erected.

"Mot until the summer of 1 905 was
the great stone ready to leave
the granite sheds of Barre for trans-
portation to Royalton. It required
the genius of a man of Wells' type
and experience to arrange for the
transportation of such a large, heavy
stone. The elevation at the railway
station is six hundred feet above sea
level, and the elevation where the
monument was to stand atop Dairy
Hill was nine hundred feet. The
approach was up a rather steep,
and not too good, dirt highway. The
question of the little wooden bridge
across the first branch of the White
River at South Royalton was over-
come in true western style by the
energetic Wells. He got permission
from the town authorities to shore up
the bridge. This was done by a tres-
tle built under the floor. It was an
old covered bridge so some of the
overhead cross timbers had to be re-
moved to allow passage for some of
the large base stones.

The matter of motive power to
move such a heavy weight over the
then dirt road was a big problem.
But like all the other problems, that
too was overcome by the ambitious
Wells. Eight horses, then twelve,
were hitched to the great wagon
brought for the purpose. The wagon
wheels had tires twenty inches wide,
and the axles were eight inches in
diameter. Finally twenty-two horses
had to be used. Eventually a block
and tackle or windlass arrangement
had to be resorted to before that im-
mense load was finally carried to the
top of Dairy Hill.

Some of the way a gang of young
men were kept busy from morning to
night laying hardwood planks for
the big tires to run on so that they
wouldn't sink into the soft road. It
was a red letter occasion when that
procession of a great wagon with a
twenty-two horse team began its trek
down the main road. People came
from long distances to witness it.
( Continued on page 55 )

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

NEW YEAR

L^elebi

The New Year was always
ushered in by the pioneers
amid a whirl of social functions.
The precedent had been established
in Nauvoo and was faithfully car-
ried out almost every year after the
exodus from that city. In Nauvoo,
many house parties were held
throughout the city as the New Year
was welcomed by the Saints.

The last New Year's party Joseph
Smith celebrated was a festive occa-
sion never to be forgotten by the
many friends who were privileged to
share the hospitality of the Mansion
House. On such occasions he often
entertained one hundred couples in
the hotel where his family resided. A
platform was erected where the mu-
sicians were seated. After the guests
had been entertained by feasting,
music, toasts, and friendly conversa-
tion, the long tables were removed.
and the cotillion band played for
hours as the many guests found re-
laxation and friendship in the dance.
The party continued through the
night, and the guests returned to
their homes in the early dawn.

When the year of 1846 dawned
upon the Saints in Nauvoo, there
were no house parties celebrating its
arrival. No dancing party convened
in the Mansion House; the custom-
ary tokens of festivity were absent;
in most homes the lights were extin-
guished before the midnight hour ar-
rived. But in the temple on the hill,
the lights burned until dawn, as the
endowment was administered to
many during the night. The Saints
were planning for a secret exodus
from their beautiful city, and they
spent the festive season in prayer
and worship. At the close of the
services of the day, the multitude as-

JANUARY 1947

sembled in a large room and prayed
for the blessings of heaven upon
their intended exodus from the city
and their migration to the far west.
Elder Heber C. Kimball offered
the New Year's benediction, ex-
pressing thanks for the privilege of
receiving the blessing of the Lord's
house, and a wish for the blessings
of heaven to attend them during
their journey westward.

In most of the "Mormon" settle-
ments along the Iowa trail, the his-
toric year of 1847 was ushered in
amid the boom of cannon, the sparkle
of merry laughter, and the sound of
dancing feet.

A few pioneer journals reveal
how the pioneers celebrated the first
New Year they witnessed in the Salt
Lake valley. "Life was as sweet here
and the holidays as merry," wrote
Parley P. Pratt, "as in the Christian
palaces and mansions of those who
had driven us to the mountains.* '

"We have now entered upon an-
other year," wrote Isaac C. Haight.
"The Saints have had many trials
the past year, including much jour-
neying and fatigue. The Lord has led
many of the Saints away from the
Gentiles into a goodly land."

A public meeting was called in
the old fort at the dawn of the New
Year, at which regulations were
drawn up to govern the pioneers un-
til the Mexican War should be
terminated, and the pioneers should
know "what hands we shall fall in-
to."

There is no mention of any special
festivities at the dawn of 1849. On
that day, however, President Brig-
ham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and
Jedediah M. Grant called upon Fa-
ther John Smith, Brigham Young,

rations

IN PIONEER

TIMES

Dm (L.. L^ecii /e/cLjai/in

OF THE CHURCH HISTORIAN'S
OFFICE

and Heber C. Kimball ordaining him
Patriarch to the Church.

Though public entertainment was
limited that season, the spirit of fes-
tivity was not entirely absent. "The
young people are getting married by
wholesale this cold weather," de-
clared the journal of John L. Smith.
"I think there was a wedding every
night from Christmas to New Year's,
and one evening three couples were
married."

A s soon as schoolhouses or chapels
could be erected, the New Year
was celebrated by song and sermon,
much like the usual Sabbath meet-
ing. Such a worship service was held
in the new schoolhouse in the Four-
teenth Ward on New Year's Day,
1851. Two preaching services were
held at which the following brethren
preached to a large audience; Parley
P. Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, Wil-
lard Richards, W. W. Phelps, and
John Murdock.

During the day, a large party was
given in the "Bath House." The bath
house parties became a popular fea-
ture of the New Year festivities.
During some holiday seasons the
money received was given to the
wives of the missionaries who were
in foreign lands.

As the New Year dawned in 1 853,
there was music in the air. The Nau-
voo brass band in two carriages, and
Captain Ballo's band on foot, ser-
enaded the homes of the prominent
citizens. The members of the Quo-
rum of the Twelve, except Orson
Pratt who was absent on a mission,
(Concluded on page 47 )

jEttnuium

Dear Bob:
The other night your rather
laughing allusion to ".smooch-
ing" started me on a long thinking
trail. The word itself arrested me. I
thought of the odd meaning of such
terms; then of the nature of human
emotions and human thinking; then,
somehow, of principles and the dif-
ficulties we sometimes meet when we
try to sort our ideas of right and
wrong. Finally, I thought of the
complex problems which may arise
between a young man and woman
when they are extremely fond of one
another, yet each unsure, not only
of the other's feelings, but even of
his own. I wanted to sit down with
you and talk it over. I wanted to
find out what you were thinking and
why, but, even more, I wanted to be
sure what I was thinking and why.
So I waited. Then the other day The
Improvement Era editors handed me
a letter from a young girl. It stated
very directly and simply that she,
personally, saw no harm at all in
"smooching," but that her mother
had told her that to give her boy
friends a good-night kiss was the
surest way to lose them — and quick-

ly\,

"If that is true," she asks in her

letter, "why is it true?"

This letter seemed to be nearer
my own territory. Being a woman, I
could understand both the girl and
her mother a little better, I felt, than
I could be sure of understanding
you. I don't want to interpret your
thinking. I might read into it some-
thing completely foreign to an eight-
een-year-old boy's mind. So I de-
cided to write my own ideas, and in
so doing, hope to clarify them for
myself as well as for you. I want to
tell you what I think was in the girl's
mind and, perhaps, in her mother's.
If it all means anything to you when
I get through, perhaps, sometime,
you will feel like telling me what you
think. I hope you will.

To get back to the expression,
"smooching." I don't like that word.
And yet I could see that you thought
it very gay and amusing — or am I
doing some of the "interpreting"
20

By MARY BRENTNALL

which I promised not to do? Through
the years the words have varied —
"spooning," "necking," "wooing,"
"smooching" — I remember all those.
Before you read this, someone may
have "dreamed up" another. None
of these are "pretty" terms. None of
them seems to mean much — though it
doesn't take much imagination to get
the idea of "necking" and "wooing."
From my standpoint, the reason they
are not pretty is that the whole idea
is not pretty. Affection and its vari-
ous manifestations are usually beau-
tiful, but there is something about all
this which falls short — emotionally,
aesthetically, and intellectually.
There is something about it that
makes a half-humorous, half-con-
temptuous title, thoroughly fitting.
Anything which has this connotation
must change its name frequently.
Humor and contempt are both large-
ly dependent upon change and nov-
elty for their power.

ThVen though the terms are new, the
idea is old. It is probable that
nearly every hum#n being has in-
dulged to some degree — even if only
by thinking about it — which, you
must agree, might be quite an in-
dulgence. Caresses, in the main, are
pleasant things. Holding hands with
the right girl or boy has considerable
satisfaction attached to it. And it is
good for all of us to know this feeling
of admiration, of love, of affection —
both given and received.

If it is all so pleasant and agree-
able, then why the problem? Any-
thing, we are told, becomes a prob-
lem when there is mental conflict —
when decision and judgment are in-
volved. For the thoughtful, and I
know that underneath your fun, you
are thoughtful, Bob — there is bound
to be a question as to the wisdom of
it all. No one wants to be stiff or
"Victorian," but you cannot fail to
wonder what there is in it for you.
If I interpret the very frank letter
from the girl rightly, she is very
young — younger than her years.
The younger we are, the more im-
portant the immediate seems to us —
the hour's pleasure, the moment's

fun. Conversely, the older we get,
the more intrusive becomes the fu-
ture. Prophets, who look far beyond
their generations are old men — if not
in years, then always in spiritual in-
sight. The girl who wrote the letter,
though young, is growing up, and
the thought of next year is beginning
to occur to her. The most telling spot
in her mother's warning, however,
was the word, "quickly." She under-
stood that best. It is when we begin
weighing the values of the immediate
with the future that we get into the
realm of problems.

If I read this mother's remark
rightly, she understands this young
daughter well. She knows that the
girl needs to start thinking instead of
merely responding. The daughter
had evidently accepted, at least to
some degree, the truthfulness of her
mother's remark. Yet it puzzled her,
and she was not quite ready to sit
down with her mother and find out
why she spoke as she did. The
daughter wanted to be fortified by
someone else's opinion first. It would
help her if we could find a satisfac-
tory answer. Perhaps an answer lies
in weighing the immediate view with
the long view.

This is the immediate view. Pro-
vided, of course, that a girl and boy
like each other very much, an expres-
sion of affection may be very pleas-
(Continued on page 56)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

SCOUTS OF THE WORLD

iSuiildina for ^Jc

omowow

couts of the World — Build-
ing for Tomorrow," is the
theme for the thirty-seventh
anniversary celebration of the Boy
Scouts of America. Yes, it is more
than that; it is a statement of hope
and faith in the future that can fire
the imagination of every Scout and
Scouter to see his relationship in a
growing world citizenship through
the world brotherhood of scouting.

The First Presidency of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints has approved February 2,
1947, as Scout Sunday throughout
the Church to open Boy Scout week.
The Sunday evening service will be
devoted to a special scouting pro-
gram with uniformed Scouts, Senior
Scouts, and their leaders, participat-
ing in the program. Scout leaders
will cooperate with the bishops of
their wards in making arrangements
to recognize properly the Boy Scout
program as part of the Young Men's
Mutual Improvement Association
program in the Church.

The theme to be inaugurated dur-
ing Scout week will give color to the
major activities of the scouting pro-
gram throughout the entire year,
with the Pioneer Centennial Scout
Camp and the Sixth World Jamboree
as the climaxing dramatic events in
world Scouting. There are 4,413,-
139 Scouts and Scouters around
the world; those primarily from
the western states will gather in Salt
Lake City next July 21, 1947, for a
five-day demonstration of the values
of the scouting program. They will
camp on the Fort Douglas reserva-
tion. This encampment will climax
a year's activity and advancement of
scouting in the Church. Full details

By ROCK M. KIRKHAM

NATIONAL DIRECTOR, L.D.S. CHURCH SERVICE
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

will be released through local
council offices. All units coming to
the encampment must register their
members by May 15, 1947. Applica-
tions should be forwarded to their
local Scout offices and then to the
Pioneer Centennial Scout Camp
headquarters at 50 North Main
Street, Salt Lake City 1, Utah. A
registration fee of five dollars a
Scout or Senior Scout should accom-
pany the application.

Senior Scout Camp and
Rendezvous

special area will be provided for
a separate Senior Scout Camp so
that they can demonstrate the three
phases of the program and mingle
and work with other young men of
like interests. An unusual feature of

the camp will be a special sunrise
rendezvous for only Senior Scouts to
be held on Donner Hill, located one
mile from the Centennial Camp.

The scoutmaster or unit leader
will be the executive officer of the
unit, assisted by two assistants, and
junior leadership.

Featured in the program will be
many events noteworthy of the cen-
tennial and scouting: A gigantic
campfire flavored with outstanding
stunts; scouting calvacade pageant;
centennial Scouts on parade through
the streets of Salt Lake City with
thirty bands; a tabernacle program
featuring the world-famed organ
and presentation of Church, region-
al, and national Scout leaders; two
gigantic centennial evening parades
depicting the history and develop-
ment of Utah and the West; partici-
pation in the "This Is The Place"
monument dedication; plus many
centennial features and scouting ac-
tivities.

rPHE Sixth World Jamboree will be
held August 1947, in France, on
a large estate at Moisson on the Riv-
er Seine, sixty miles from Paris. The
French Jamboree Association is now
well along in its program of prepara-
tion and is planning this world
brotherhood encampment of some
40,000 foreign and French Scouts
and leaders. Full particulars will be
released through local council of-
fices.

As scouting "Builds for Tomor-
row," we must build on good solid
foundations.

The sun never sets on the Boy

Scout or on his "good turn" and his

( Concluded on page 51)

—Illustrated by Nelson White

JANUARY 1947

itanms

OF THE

WEST

From the Church Authorities
came a call for Jane Walton's
son, Charles, to join with about
a dozen families, all to leave their
comfortable homes in Bluff, and
make an entirely new settlement in
the Blue Mountain region, now
known as Monticello, Utah. To issue
such a call to Jane's son, was
equivalent to commanding Jane to go
also, for Charles was under twenty,
and her mother love would never
permit her to see him start for the
wilderness alone.

Looking backward over her life, it
seemed to Jane as if change after
change had occurred. First, when
she was a tiny child living in Scot-
land, her mother, on becoming con-
verted by a "Mormon'' missionary
to his faith, determined to journey to
the United States to join the Church
group there. Shortly after her arriv-
al, the "Mormons" decided to leave
Illinois, where they were persecuted
and unwanted, and search for a new
place in which to live. Their hope
was to find a place where they would
be able to worship God according to
the dictates of their consciences.Then
it was that the journey was made to
the Salt Lake valley — a desert wil-
derness. Little Jane, though barely
six years old, trudged at her moth-
er's side the entire distance, since the
wagons were too full of household
goods and the provisions for her to
ride. On this journey of some
months, filled with hardship and
privation, Jane learned her first les-
sons in courage and endurance.

Again on reaching the valley,
there were many difficult experiences
which further inured Jane to hard-
ship and rounded out her character.
She remained at Salt Lake City until
she married, when once again migra-
tion was in order. She and her hus-
band were counseled by the Church
Authorities, first to settle Woodruff,
then Bluff. They ever were obedient
to counsel. Now another change
22

& 06&&W il'l. Sherwood

must come since they were deter-
mined to accompany Charles to the
Blue Mountain region.

'T'he difficulties of this new settle-
ment were manifold. Because of
scant rainfall, dry farming must be
practised. The altitude of over seven
thousand feet caused early frosts.
Water for household use was diffi-
cult to obtain. Likewise there were
Indians, but since Brigham Young
had taught his people that it was bet-
ter to feed the Indians than to fight
them, the new settlers hoped to over-
come hostility by kindness and food-
stuffs. Furthermore, another danger
loomed as the greatest of all.
Throughout the country were enor-
mous cattle ranches, on which many
of the cow hands were fugitives
from justice, both wild and brutal
in their ways. These cowboys re-
sented any town settlement, as they
desired to hold the entire valley for
grazing land. Therefore, they came
often to the settlement, firing their
revolvers at the feet of the new ar-
rivals to make them dance, shooting
at the bell in the schoolhouse with
school in session, venturing always
as near murder as they dared.

There were no doctors, nurses, or
hospital. If someone broke a bone,
one of their number, Edward Hyde
by name, though untrained, set it as
best he could. If someone fell ill, the
elders anointed him with oil, laid on
hands, and offered prayer. There
was one digression from this Spartan
attitude, and one only. A woman
was sent from Salt Lake City to train
one of their number as a midwife.
Yet they had supreme comfort in all
their tribulations through their pro-
found belief in God and the power
of prayer. In reading accounts of
early Utah experiences, one finds
that many human ailments and many

a dire situation were cured by pray-
er. This, then, was the new life into
which Jane Walton and those who
accompanied her were plunged.

To overcome scant rainfall, the
men settlers went on ahead in the
fall of 1886, to build irrigation
ditches from the mountains to the
farming land, living in tents while
doing this. In the spring, when the
snow melted on the mountains, water
would flow into these ditches, giving
moisture for their crops. Once these
ditches were completed, and their
land ploughed, the men returned to
Bluff for the winter months. But
early spring found them bringing
their families, erecting log cabins,
and planting their crops. All, men
and women alike, toiled to make
these crops plentiful.

'"Time passed, and summer came.
One day as Jane was hoeing
beans, she was startled to find a
young Indian, Posey by name, stand-
ing near. Posey didn't bear a very
good reputation, and Jane was alone.
"Me hungry," ejaculated Posey,
"Well," parried Jane, "if you will
wait until I finish hoeing this row of
beans, I will go into the house and
get you some food." "Me hungry
now," reiterated Posey sharply.
"Well," argued Jane, "if you will
finish hoeing this row, Posey, I will
go at once." "Me no hoe, and me
hungry now," bellowed Posey sav-
agely; pointing his gun at Jane,
he swore a volley of terrible oaths.

The insolence and profanity thor-
oughly angered Jane, who, without
a thought of consequences, raised her
hoe and hit Posey over the head. He
dropped to the ground unconscious.
Here was a dilemma! Jane wondered
if Posey were dead, but anxious
though she was, she kept on with her
{Concluded on page 54)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

SHE SHALL LIVE

& ^Mlvlvi *Jj. cJja

oes God honor the promises of
his authorized servants?

It was a beautiful summer day in the
little settlement of Mount Pleasant,
Utah. The year was 1862, and the
little group of Pioneers had been there
but three short years. Already the place
had been greatly changed. The sage-
brush and the sandstone boulders had
been cleared away, and many log homes
had been built. Fast growing poplar
trees were beginning to bring some
shade to the walks along the broad well-
laid-out streets. Every home had its
vegetable garden, and many had young
apple orchards. It had taken hard toil
to subdue this little semidesert part of
the earth with the very limited number
of implements and tools these Pioneers
had been able to bring across the plains
with them or had obtained later.

Just one and a half blocks north of
the partly built rock fort, which had
taken so much hard labor to build, lived
Nathan Staker and his wife, Eliza. Be-
fore two "Mormon" missionaries found
him, he had been a Methodist minister,
but he recognized the voice of the re-
stored gospel and obeyed it. He had
come as a widower with a large family
from Ontario, Canada.

Eliza Staker, who had been Eliza
Burton, had heard and accepted the
gospel with her husband, Joseph Bur-
ton, in Yorkshire, England, and prom-
ised him on his deathbed that she would
bring their two young children to Zion.
In spite of all the opposition of her
prosperous English family, she had
kept that promise. In addition to a hard
sea voyage, she and her children suf-
fered the trials of the Martin handcart
company.

Nathan and Eliza had met at Pleasant
Grove, Utah, and married in 1857. In
the spring of 1 859, they moved with the
original settlers to build their humble
home in Mount Pleasant.

/^\n this pleasant summer day in 1862,
Nathan had been working with his
young apple trees. He had planted an
acre of them, many fine varieties that
v/ere to be a delight to his children and
his grandchildren. Four-year-old James
liked to help his father in the garden
and orchard, but his mother objected
to his playing in the orchard because
of the irrigation ditch which ran through
it just beyond the garden gate. He had
come in wet more than once from falling
into it. Eliza kept a close watch to see
that this garden gate was always fas-
tened because of her toddling little Eliza
Jane, who was only eighteen months

JANUARY 1947

old and who also liked to follow her
father.

After his noonday meal and chores,
Nathan went back to his work in the
orchard. He did not notice that little
Eliza Jane had followed him. Perhaps
she was just a minute or two behind
him.

Eliza soon missed her baby and be-
gan to look for her. The little girl was
not around the house or garden, so Eliza
called to her husband. The baby was
not with him, and he hadn't seen her;
it was very unusual for her to be lost,
so he went to help look for her. They
made a search of their premises but
didn't find her. They went to their
neighbor's, and soon the whole neigh-
borhood joined in the search without
success. Then someone thought of the
irrigation ditch. Brother Staker hurried
through the garden gate to the little
footbridge and followed the ditch down
to the lower end of the orchard. There,
floating in the water, and lodged against
the dam which Henry Wilcox had
made to divert the water to his garden,
he found the motionless body of his
baby girl. He lifted her quickly out of
the water and hurried to the house.
Nathan, his wife, and the neighbors
used every method known to them to
revive little Eliza Jane, but failed.

During the excitement some of the
group had seen a white-topped buggy
go by. There was only one carriage
like that in the county, and everyone
knew it belonged to Apostle Orson
Hyde, commonly known as Elder Hyde,
who lived in Spring City, five miles to
the south. At Nathan's request, a
neighbor went on horseback to over-
take him and ask him to return and ad-
minister to the child. On his return,
Elder Hyde walked slowly through the
garden to the little two-room log home
and past tear-stained faces to where he
was shown the body of little Eliza.
Nathan asked him if he would admin-
ister to his little girl and call her back
to life.

Orson Hyde examined the little body
in silence. He could detect no pulse,
and no beat of the tiny heart. The body
was getting cold.

"How long was the little girl in the
water?" he asked.

Brother Staker examined his watch.
"It's just about an hour since I went to
the orchard, and I suppose she followed
me.

"I am very sorry, Brother and Sister

Staker, but I have examined your baby
thoroughly, and she is dead," said Elder
Hyde, "and it isn't pleasing in the sight
of the Lord that we should try to bring
back our dead after he has called them
home."

Nathan was quite disturbed by this
statement and answered, "Elder Hyde,
I have always tried to bow to the will
of the Lord in all things, and am willing
to now, but one thing troubles me very
much. Soon after our little girl was
born a year and a half ago, we took her
to Bishop Seeley to give her a blessing
and a name. I gave her that blessing
myself, and I distinctly remember that
I promised her that she should grow to
womanhood and become a mother in
Israel. I sincerely believe that such
promises made by the authority of the
priesthood will be fulfilled, but now — "
he broke off and gestured helplessly.

"In that case," Brother Hyde an-
swered, "I will ask God to restore your
little girl to life again, and if that prom-
ise was made in the spirit of faith and
righteousness, she shall live again to
fulfil it."

The exact words that Orson Hyde
uttered in his administration to little
Eliza Staker at that time are not re-
corded or remembered, but he called
her back to life, and she came. The
next day she was playing with her little
homemade toys again, toys which by
comparison with those of today would
seem crude, but which were very dear
to her.

She did live to womanhood, and be-
came a mother! She married Eli A.
Day, a young schoolteacher who had
been chosen in those days of com-
munity planning (the 70's) to go to
the University of Deseret and study, to
introduce new methods of teaching in
the Mount Pleasant school. To them
were born thirteen children, ten of
whom survive today and who are all
active in the Church. Eli A. Day died
in November 1943, at the age of eighty-
seven, but Eliza Jane Staker Day is still
alive and in her eighty-sixth year. She
lives at Fairview, Utah, where she and
her husband made their home in 1886.

The fourth generation of Eliza Jane
Staker Day's family is becoming nu-
merous; she now has fifty-two living
great-grandchildren. This aged lady has
answered well to the sacred promise
made to her by her pioneer father. She
has lived a long life of love, devotion,
and self-denial.

By RICHARD L EVANS

pate &m

T_Teard from the "Crossroads of the West" with the Salt
* Lake Tabernacle Choir and Organ over a nationwide radio
network through ksl and the columbia broadcasting system
every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, 10:30 a.m. Central
Time, 9:30 a. m. Mountain Time, and 8:30 a. m. Pacific Time.

\-Jn L^auina (L-vll bu ^rti r\lakt r(ame <=Jjevotee5 or <dJefamatL

A LL this may have been long ago— and it may not have
been just as it now appears to have been — but we seem
to have remembered or to have read of a time when the
demarcation between good and evil was more sharply
defined and better understood than it now sometimes seems
to be. Perhaps it was not so at all. Perhaps only distance
gives it that appearance. But in those days — call them old-
fashioned, call them puritanical, or call them what you will
— from this distance it would seem that there was a reason-
ably well-marked borderline, each side of which was known
for what it was. Now all this — if it be true — had its incon-
sistencies, to be sure; for perhaps no man is wholly bad
and no man is wholly blameless, and perhaps no line, how-
ever sharp, can always draw the mark between them. But
this fact must not be ignored: As long as evil appears in
its true colors, as long as it is known for what it is, and as
long as those who tamper with it, do so with their eyes open,
the number who touch it will be smaller. A bare-faced
evil issues its own warning. But evil that is permitted to
hide behind polished fronts and chromium trimmings and
glamorous names is more dangerous and more deadly than
the bare-faced variety. False things so often like to
masquerade in the appearance of respectability. It gives
them admittance and acceptance in places to which they
could not otherwise go. And whenever we let a thing of
evil take on the appearance of respectability, we have ad-
vanced its cause immeasurably, because we have then re-
moved from it one of its most feared penalties — the penalty
of moral condemnation. Strip from evil its polished fronts,
its deceptive appearance, its false glamor, and paint it in
its true colors, and we shall have less difficulty with a
growing and impressionable generation of young people.
But once let it acquire a respectable guise, and it becomes
difficult to distinguish, difficult to discourage. Whatever
else we may do with evil, let's not give it the face of
respectability.

— November 3, 1946.

amauon

Tt would seem that there are always among us some who
find pleasure or profit in defaming the character of others.
And those who are so inclined don't always confine their
activities to people they know. They are often disposed to
undermine people they have never known, and to presume
knowledge they have never had. From such malicious at-
tacks it is often difficult to protect a man's good name while
yet he lives, and often more difficult after he is dead. There
are those who would represent every deed of nobility and
of heroism, every personal sacrifice, every appearance of
righteousness, and every act of altruism as fraud and
hypocrisy. It is true that the motives that make history are
often complex. It is true that there are no perfect men.
And it is true that those who focus attention upon imper-
fections will always find them. Notwithstanding this, hon-
est and sincere men, living and dead, would seem to be
entitled to some protection, as to their lives and their
memories, from the devotees of defamation, who peddle
opinions about things of which they know little and care
less, so long as it is popular or profitable, or serves their
purpose. Of course, groundless gossip, irresponsible mis-
representation, and cynical assumption cannot change the
record of a man's life nor alter the facts of history. Such
things do not hurt the past, but they may hurt the present
and the future, by destroying faith and discrediting ideals.
Often, perhaps, those who find malicious pleasure or mali-
cious purpose in defaming character or in destroying con-
fidence, are, in fact, expressing something that lies within
their own souls. Knowing their own lives and motives, it
may be that they find it difficult to impute higher motives
to others. Knowing the purposes they serve, it may be
that they find it difficult to concede an honest idealism to
anyone. But whatever the causes and whatever the result,
the commandment "Thou shalt not bear false witness"1 is
still on the statutes, both as to men and events, and as to
the present and the past.

]Exodus 20:16 — November 17, 1946.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Jn Jakino- Jhinas ^sor L/ranUd

T^here are times, no doubt, when all of us are moved
by gratitude, and there are times when all of us be-
come careless and indifferent to our blessings. A favor
that someone does for us the first time is almost always
appreciated. But a favor received a number of times
may soon become a matter of commonplace expectancy
or even a source of disgruntled complaint if it fails to
be repeated or is slow in arriving. Blessings which have
been showered upon us, often come to be looked upon
as a continuing right. So many things we take for granted :
health — until we lose it; food — until it is difficult to get;
life — until it hangs in doubt — and many things besides —
but we must not : not the harvest of the year, nor our daily
bread, nor the comfort of home, nor the love of those who
wait there— nor the blessings of God — nor life itself. Nor
must we expect to receive without giving, to prosper with-
out working, to inherit without deserving. And so, taking
nothing for granted, we voice gratitude for all our blessings,
naming but a few: We are thankful that men may speak
their minds; that the right to vote means something; that
public opinion and moral force are factors in fashioning
our way of life, and that none are beyond their reach —
not even those who may have supposed themselves to be
above law or bigger than the welfare of a nation. We
are grateful for comforts and conveniences, but more
grateful for the measure of freedom that has survived in
a world where much has not survived. We are thankful
for the promise of the future, and for our conviction that
it holds no problem too great to be surmounted by think-
ing, working, reasoning men. For these and all other
blessings we give gratitude to God, our Father, and earnest-
ly hope we may never take them for granted, for it is ex-
ceedingly hazardous to abuse or to take for granted any
right or privilege or blessing. -November 24, 1946.

To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep himself unspotted from the world."1 These few
words, of course, make no claim to completeness. There
are many things to be done besides; and even James, who
wrote them, would and did add more — but the principle is
here proclaimed that religion is more than doctrine and
dogma: that it is something to be worked at, not merely
thought of — -something to be done, not merely talked about
— something to be lived, not merely printed and read or
spoken and heard. Also here implied is the inconsistency
of trafficking in questionable things on weekdays and sitting
in high places on Sundays. This would hardly be religion
"pure and undefiled" and keeping oneself "unspotted from
the world." Whenever we cannot take our Sabbath ethics
and morals and ideals with us into our weekday business,
we would do well to look critically at our business. When-
ever we cannot take our Sunday professions into our every-
day life, we would do well to make some self-examina-
tion. Whenever we cannot take the standards and prin-
ciples of our religion with us into our social activities, we
would do well to scrutinize, and perchance to revise, some
of the things we are doing. Religion is something to con-
dition the whole of life — not merely the Sabbath and the
special occasions. And if it does less than this, either there
is less in our belief than there should be, or less in our
practice than our belief deserves. To quote James again in
closing: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers
only. ... If any man among you seem to be religious . . . but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain."8 In
short, however it may be denned, either our religion works
in our lives or it doesn't, and if it doesn't, there is something
lacking in it or in us. Assuredly, religion has much to do
with heaven, but assuredly it has also much to do with
earth. —November 10, 1946.

'James 1 :27
sjames 1 :22. 26

f\euaion and cLlfe

uaion am

T(Tany definitions have been given of religion.

There is little to be gained by adding
to them, but we should like to quote
again from one of those most
often quoted: "Pure religion
and undefiled before God
and the Father is this,

JANUARY 1947

Green Hill
Far Away

JL Losamay was sitting on
the top log of the sawmill wall.
Mostly, it was fun to sit up here, but
there was no fun anywhere in the
world today, she told herself miser-
ably. To the east the mountains
were piling up blue shadows, and
she couldn't see a Green Hill among
them no matter how hard she
'magined. If she could find her
Green Hill, she might get shed of
this emptiness inside. She might
even know why she heard things in-
stead of playing outside, or why
Ma's mouth was so tight she couldn't
talk, or why Pa had to make a living
so he couldn't put roofs on houses.
'Course, she could get by if she just
knew that Pa would come home
again. The emptiness twisted —
hard.

"Come on down. We're going to
play 'chooses.' "

Below, inside the walls, a circle of
playmates was waiting for her to
join them. She shook her head. She
had only one choose, and wild
horses couldn't drag it out of her.

Eunice looked up and stuck out
her tongue. "Stuck-up."

"You quit calling my sister stuck-
up," Lena demanded. Lena was a
year older than Rosamay.

"Then why don't she play with

<J-Jorothu L^lapp

us?"

"She likes to think."

"She's stuck-up, that's what. Ma
says it is her fancy name."

Rosamay heard, and the ache
twisted harder. Maybe it was her
name. If her name was, well, Han-
nar, she might have been out play-
ing and wouldn't have heard. If she
hadn't heard, she would have be-
lieved Pa when he said he was going
to Conejos for flour. He wouldn't —
he couldn't — but she had heard what
she had heard. She wiggled, trying
to find a comfortable position on the
log.

She was glad Pa hadn't finished
this building. Well, she was a little
bit glad. 'Cause, if he had finished
it, Ma wouldn't be going back to
26

Sanpete County, and Pa would have
been back from Conejos two days
ago.

A he mill was bigger than
the two rooms they lived in. Pa had
snaked the logs from the canyon
above Costilla and laid them to the
square, but there had never been a
roof. A house without a roof was
no good, so Pa had turned it into a
sawmill to cut lumber for the next
house he was going to build; but the
lumber had gone to pay debts; and
the jagged-toothed saw had been
traded off. Even the sawdust had
been hauled away to cellars to
smother great blocks of ice.

Albert's shrill voice broke through
her dreaming. His "choose" was al-
ways "In Our Lovely." Rosamay
liked it, too.

Tea and coffee and tobacco they
despise,

Illustrated by

}ohn Henrg Evans, Jr.

Drink no liquor, and they eat
But a very little meat —

That told something. She knew
about tea and coffee, for the old
man at the "rese'voy" had them. She
wasn't sure about liquor 'cept it was
something Satan put out to snare the
Saints, but meat — why was that in
the song? Why couldn't she eat
plenty of meat? Goodness knows
she didn't get the chance very often.

The singing below had changed to
"Oh, I had such a pretty dream.
Mama." She twisted about to see,
and a piece of bark fell into the cir-
cle. All eyes were turned to her.

"Tell us yours now," Eunice
called. "We are all through with
songs but yours."

"Hurry." Eunice was impatient.

"Your cross-your-heart-and-hope-
to-die one," Jared demanded.

That wasn't fair. Rosamay's lips
went a little like Ma's. She'd never,
never tell her cross-your-heart song.
If she did, she would have to tell
why, and then they would call her
worse than stuck-up. Besides, there

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

was no way to tell why she liked
Green Hill Far Away." She didn't
even know the words of it, but most
of the time the hill was clear as
anything in her mind. Its slopes
were smooth and velvety green. She
looked around. There was Ute
Mountain to the south. No-o, it was
more blue than green, and the row
of pines along its skyline looked like
giant knitting needles. No. Ute
Mountain was there, and she
couldn't 'magine about it. It was
quarrels in the night and roofless
houses. It was no meat and tight
lips. "Green Hill Far Away" was
different. On a Green Hill thoughts
would come into words, and no one
would laugh, or call "stuck-up"! On
a Green Hill Ma would smile and
Pa wouldn't run away from his
family.

"Are you asleep?" Jared called.

Rosamay started to answer but
didn't. This was terrible; she just
couldn't tell them.

"Come on down, Rosamay," Lena
came to her rescue. "It's time to do
chores."

That reminded the others of their
chores. After many words and much
lingering they went their way. Only
Lena was left.

"Come on, Slowpoke. Ma will
give us a spanking if we leave our
chores again."

Rosamay struggled to her feet.
She just couldn't leave until there
was some sign of Pa. She looked to
the west. There was nothing com-
ing but night. It always sneaked up
to Warren's hill then dropped, and
suddenly every hollow and hiding
place along the creek was filled, and
it started climbing out of the bottoms
and reaching for the sawmill.

"Come on." Lena stamped her
feet in anger.

Rosamay began walking along the
wall balancing herself with her out-
spread arms. If she fell she might
break a leg, but if she made it clean
around without slipping, her wish
would come true. She had said her
secret prayer, but she might as well
try everything. She made it and
stopped with her eyes closed to make
her wish. When she opened them
again, there was still nothing on the
road.

fhen at last they crept
hand-in-hand to the kitchen door,
Ma didn't seem to know they were
there. She had the rocking chair
outside and was rocking the baby to

JANUARY 1947

sleep. If Pa promised a spanking,
they could count on his forgetting,
but Ma never forgot. They waited.

"Should we — should we do our
chores?"

Ma's head came up. "Of course
do your chores."

"Do we have to?" Lena took
heart. "Maybe Pa will do them
when he gets home."

"No." Her voice wasn't natural,
and she rocked so hard she nearly
woke the baby.

"Can we just close the yard
gate?"

"No. Close the coop door, too. I
don't want skunks or coyotes getting
my hens."

Holding hands again they started
for the chicken yard. It was fenced
with willows woven between barbed
wire. Once inside they had to feel
their way, for the high willows kept
out the fading light. As Lena closed
the coop door, the chickens stirred
sleepily.

When they got back to the rocker
again, Ma had put the baby to bed
and was knitting. Rosamay never
got over the wonder of Ma's knit-
ting. Even when she couldn't see her
fingers, she could hear the clicking
of her needles. Lena went inside to
eat her bread and milk, but Rosamay
sat down on the doorstep with her
elbow on her knee, chin in hand.
The moon came up over the east
hills, and Ma's needles made an
awful racket in the silence. Lena
blew out the light and went to bed.
Sand gathered in Rosamay's eyes,
and Ma forgot to knit. They sat
and sat.

Rosamay dozed and sat up with
a start. "There he is. I hear him
whistling."

Ma was listening, too; then plain-
er than day they heard Pa whistling
and the crunch of wheels on sand.
Ma's face broke up like she was go-
ing to cry. Instead, she spoke.

"Start the fire, quick." She
brushed past Rosamay on her way to
the kitchen.

In a matter of seconds the fire was
burning briskly. One thing about
Pa, he always had plenty of cedar
wood chopped. As she worked,
Rosamay hummed happily. Shame
on her for thinking Pa had meant
what he'd said. Ma's face looked
just like her wedding picture that
was on the organ. The flour mush
was made, the table set, and every-
thing ready, but still he didn't come

in, so Rosamay went out to meet
him.

The moon purposely brightened
the hill, the road, and the corral just
to show they were empty. Empty
and lonely! Not a sign of man or
team! Rosamay was afraid to
breathe, for the only sound in the
world came from some crickets under
the house. As she waited, a dog
howled. She shivered. A dog al-
ways points his nose to the moon
and howls before a death in the fam-
ily. It was Dunn's dog, but still —

"You did hear him, didn't you?"

Rosamay jumped. Ma was stand-
ing beside her, very stiff and
straight.

"Uh-huh. I heard him whistling,
and I heard the wagon wheels on the
sand."

"I heard him whistling." Each
word stood out by itself, and while
they waited, the dog howled again.
Suddenly the stiffness went out of
Ma, and she stumbled back inside.
Rosamay wanted to say, "Don't
worry. Pa won't leave us," but Pa
was hot-headed, and maybe he had
already left them; and words would
not crowd past the thickness in her
throat. Maybe — maybe he — he
wasn't even alive. Hearing him
whistling and the dogs howling
were bad signs.

In the night Rosamay
dreamed she could see her Green
Hill, but every time she tried to
reach it, the sawmill was in the way.
She tried to go through the mill, but
it was dark, and inside someone was
sobbing. She woke damp with per-
spiration.

In the morning her dream was
gone. So was Ma's friendliness, but
her eyes were red and swollen like
she had been out in the wind. She
banged things right and left, and
even scolded little Chris when he
fell down and hurt himself. Rosa-
may went to the sawmill, but she
couldn't stand to look west to an
empty road, and when she looked
east or south all she could see was
Ute Mountain.

By evening Ma was quiet. Rosa-
may could understand a quiet Ma,
for she never talked much, but not
this kind of quiet. She was glad
when it was time to go to bed.

The next morning she sat up in
bed just as the sun was peeping
through the east window. Ma was
shaking Lena.

{Continued on page 52)
17

ewievi

HCC065

Teachers have often asked me,
"How can I help my students
become more religious?" My
answer is always, "By being a re-
ligious person yourself, one who
thinks, talks, acts, and lives as a re-
ligious man, and whose life is an in-
spiration to youth. Cultivate a
friendship with your students so that
they find you and the kind of life
you are living appealing. Stimulate
them to learn more about the reli-
gious life; help them to be critical of
themselves and to pass judgment on
their mistakes; keep on living with
them according to the ideals you
talk about. Make of your classroom
a small community in which the
students not only learn subject mat-
ter but also learn to live effectively
with one another."

How may we create such an ideal
classroom situation? In the first
place, the teacher assumes the role of
learner. He explores with the stu-
dents the highways and byways of
the problem so that the goal is not
missed. This means thorough prep-
aration on the part of the teacher.
He must have a comprehensive
knowledge of the subject at hand
and much interesting information to
contribute. Only then will real think-
ing on the part of the group be
stimulated.

While no two teachers will neces-
sarily do or say exactly the same
thing in the classroom, certain prin-
ciples of action must appear if the
desired results are to be attained.
The effective teacher is firm in ex-
pecting cooperation; he is sympathet-
ic in his understanding of individ-
ual problems; he has the ability to
secure the good will of his students;
he tries to be fair in his judgment,
and he senses when to grant privi-
leges and when to withhold them.

Not only does the skilful teacher
carefully plan his program of activi-
ties but in the planning, as well as in
the teaching, he also recognizes the
differences in the ability of individu-
als. He realizes that students do not
work at the same rate nor do they
achieve equal results, but each in-
dividual makes his contribution, con-
fident that his teacher understands
and is satisfied if he is doing his best.
28

IN THE CLASSROOM

v->ennt,on

SUPERINTENDENT, SALT LAKE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Assignments for groups in the class
are noticeably different in quantity
and in content, but provide for ev-
eryone from the weakest to the
ablest. At the same time, the teacher
keeps in mind individual needs and
talents to be shared. He is not teach-
ing subject matter but human beings
whose growth marks his real success.

'T'here is one vital element in any
successful class: Interest! The
able teacher knows that the interest
of students is the most important
factor in learning, and he knows that
motivation is the secret of interest.
When the curiosity of people is
aroused, they feel a need and a de-
sire to learn. Genuine interest in
the activities of the classroom leads
to active participation in class dis-
cussion. It requires genuine teaching
ability to follow the shifting thoughts
of youth and to ask questions that
guide and at the same time stimulate
interest and thinking.

But how may the teacher arouse
and hold the interest of his students?
As indicated above, part of it lies
in the charm and the inspiration of
the teacher's own life. Much of it
also lies in the relevance of the sub-
ject matter to the experiences of the
students.

The present is always with us, and
the future is filled with uncertainty.
We cannot escape the necessity of
dealing with both in our thinking.
The living situation and the future
are always the concern of our stu-
dents. Must we not make this the
starting point and the center of our
teaching? Is this not where interest
lies? But if we continue to focus our
attention here, are not the lessons of
the past, treasured within the printed
page, likely to be lost to us? Must
we choose the one and forego the
other? Even if the present living
situation is more intriguing, does it
not need to be illuminated by past
experience? Does not the printed

page need to "come alive" again in
our present experience?

\A/e must remember how real re-
corded experiences were to those
who first had them. If you are teach-
ing your students a beautiful hymn,
recall the circumstances in the au-
thor's life which made him write it.
Push your way back through the
story or poem or the historical record
to the living men and women whose
actual experiences have been en-
shrined there. Who were they?
How did they look and feel? What
were their motives? Why did they
behave as they did?

Perhaps this point can best be il-
lustrated by reference to certain fam-
iliar material from the Bible. David
was as enamored of his slingshot as
any modern boy with his rifle. His
grief over the death of his son, Ab-
salom, is as heartbreaking as the
grief of any modern father who lost
a boy in the war. Teachers must try
to get beneath the printed pages to
the living men and women and their
richly human experiences.

Try to picture them as they were,
and as the Bible describes them, with
all their human qualities. Do not
whitewash them on the one hand, or
"debunk" them on the other hand.
Describe the food they ate, the cloth-
ing they wore, the houses or tents
they lived in, their flocks and fields,
the contour of their country, with its
hills and valleys and trees. This calls
for research which interested stu-
dents will eagerly share with the
teachers.

It is not always necessary to "ap-
ply" an ancient story to the lives of
our students. But it is necessary to
bring out its persistent and ever-
recurring values.

The scriptures embody the most
illuminating account of man's hopes
and fears, his struggles and tempta-
tions, his sins and virtues, his fail-
{Concluded on opposite page)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

ormauovi o

From that summer day in Au-
gust 1842, when Joseph Smith
prophesied that the Saints
would go to the Rocky Mountains,
and there become a mighty people,
Church members began to prepare
for that day — first by reading every-
thing available in print, government
and other reports, and by interview-
ing travelers who had been in the far
west; then, after the exodus from
Nauvoo, plans went immediately
forward to supply the physical needs
for the trip.

All this had been done by man —
guided by prayerful study. The
Saints were now prepared for the
next step. This came in a revelation
from the Lord, now known as sec-
tion 136 of the Doctrine and Cove-
nants.

On Thursday, January 14, 1847,
President Young met with Elders
Heber C. Kimball, Willard Rich-
ards, Orson Pratt, Wilford Wood-
ruff, George A. Smith, Ezra T.
Benson, and Captain Hosea Stout,
at Elder Kimball's home to discuss
the problems of the coming season.
In the afternoon President Young
commenced to give the Word and
Will of God concerning the emigra-
tion of the Saints and those who
would journey with them. At four
thirty o'clock in the afternoon the
group adjourned, to meet again that
night at seven o'clock, this time at
Elder Benson's home, where Brig-
ham Young continued to dictate the
revelation. The group parted at ten
that night, President Young going

LINE OF MARCH

with Willard Richards to his home,
where the writing was completed.

The next day the Council of the
Twelve met at Elder Benson's home
and decided that the Word and Will
of the Lord should be laid before the
councils of the Church.

Saturday, January 16, 1847, a
meeting of the Municipal High
Council of Winter Quarters was

By ALBERT L. ZOBELL, JR.

as the Word and Will of God. The
motion was seconded by Isaac Mor-
ley.

In the manuscript Journal History
of the Church, the clerk of the meet-
ing recorded the sentiments of those

convened. Brigham Young coun-
seled the brethren to get timber and
season it to be ready for wagon tim-
ber one year hence.

Dr. Willard Richards then read
the revelation, and each man in at-
tendance was invited to express his
opinion concerning it.

Reynolds Cahoon was first to his
feet, saying that to him it was the
voice of righteousness, and moved
that the communication be received

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

(Concluded from opposite page)
ures and achievements. Here are
recorded the lives of men and women
extending over a period of hundreds
of years. They behaved in all man-
ner of ways as they faced every con-
ceivable human situation. Not only
is human behavior disclosed, but also
those deep, underlying causes by
which man's restless and aspiring
life has been dragged down or lifted
to the heights. The teacher must
bring this rich heritage of rare ex-
perience to his students and make it
live again in their lives. Many of the
lessons of life may thus be learned

JANUARY 1947

vicariously, lessons that would bring
sorrow and remorse if they had to be
learned through firsthand experi-
ence. The scriptures clearly teach
that the wages of sin is death. They
also teach that despite the chaos of
every age of confusion, God is still
in his heaven.

This generation needs to know
that the love of God is broader than
material boundaries, that his moral
might and spiritual passion is in-
fluencing mankind — that his strug-
gles to elevate and redeem our
forefathers has its counterpart in
our own age.

—From a painting by Henri Moser

present in a line or two. Typical
are these:

Winslow Farr said it reminded him of the
first reading of the Book of Mormon; he
was perfectly satisfied and knew it was
from the Lord.

Daniel Russell said it was true; felt as he
did after the first "Mormon" sermon that
he heard.

Horace Eldredge felt to receive it as the
Word and Will of the Lord, and that its
execution would prove the salvation of the
Saints.

Hosea Stout said if there is anything in
"Mormonism" that is the voice of the Lord
to the people, so is the Word and Will of
the Lord. He meant to live it.

That same evening the revelation
was presented to the First Council
of, the Seventy and their clerk, who
voted unanimously to accept it.

And so the Camps of Israel were
organized in accordance with this
revelation, "with captains of hun-
dreds, captains of fifties, and cap-
tains of tens, with a president and
his two counselors at their head; un-
der the direction of the Twelve
Apostles," and the first group began
their orderly movement toward the
Rocky Mountains the following
April.

*leCHURCH MOVES DN

Pacific Mission

P"lder Matthew Cowley of the
Council of the Twelve has been ap-
pointed president of the Pacific Mission
by the First Presidency. This is a
newly-created office, and corresponds
to the presidency of the European Mis-
sion in scope.

Included in the Pacific Mission,
which Elder Cowley will direct, are the
Hawaiian, Central Pacific, Samoan,
Tongan, Tahitian, New Zealand, and
the Australian missions.

Elder Cowley is well qualified for
this assignment. As a young man he
spent nearly five years as a missionary
in New Zealand. In 1938 he was called
as president of the New Zealand Mis-
sion, filling that position until his return
to Salt Lake City in the fall of 1945. At
the October 1945 general conference,
he was sustained as a member of the
Cpuncil of the Twelve.

Elder Cowley's headquarters will be
in Salt Lake City. He will make period-
ic trips to the missions over which he

presides.

■..i....

Welfare

/^hurch welfare program quotas have
been greatly increased for the year
1947. This year it is planned to make
each of the ten welfare regions self-
sustaining as far as possible.

Mt, Logan Stake

lUfr. Logan Stake was organi2ed No-
vember 1 7, from part of the Logan
Stake, in Utah's Cache County. The
new stake, with a membership of ap-
proximately 3,775, has the following
wards: Logan Seventh, Eighth, Elev-
enth, Providence First, and Second, and
River Heights.

Remaining in the Logan Stake are
the Logan First, Second, Sixth, part of
the Eleventh, Twelfth, College, and
Young wards. The stake now has a
membership of 3,727.

A. George Raymond, first counselor
in the old Logan Stake was sustained
as president of the Mt. Logan Stake,
with Emile C. Dunn and W. Loyal Hall
as counselors.

President Henry R. Cooper was re-
tained as president of the Logan Stake,
with V. Allen Olsen, his former second
counselor, as first counselor, and Eldred
L. Waldron as second counselor.

Participating in this, the organization
of the one hundred sixtieth stake of the
Church, were President George Albert

Smith and Elders Albert E. Bowen and
Mark E. Petersen of the Council of the
Twelve.

Relief Society Board

rpHREE new members have been added
to the general board of the Relief
Society: Mrs. Mary Jacobs Wilson,
wife of David J. Wilson, and president
of the Mount Ogden Stake Relief So-
ciety. She has also been president of
the Relief Societies in both the Ogden
Twelfth and Twenty- fourth wards.

Mrs. Florence Gay Smith, widow of
the late Elder Nicholas G. Smith, as-
sistant to the Council of the Twelve.
Her Relief Society experience includes
missions in both hemispheres — the
South African Mission as well as the
California and the Northwestern States
missions in the United States, where
she presided over Relief Societies. She
has also been matron of the Salt Lake
Temple and been active in Primary
work in the Church.

Mrs. Lillie C. Adams, wife of Arthur
Adams, and president of the Emigration
Stake Relief Society in Salt Lake City.
She has also been president of the Re-
lief Society of the University Ward,
and a member of the Alpine Stake Re-
lief Society board at American Fork,
Utah.

New Wards

Deacon Ward, Hillside Stake, has
been formed in Salt Lake City with
Clarence J. Dean as bishop. The new
ward was formerly a part of the Laurel-
crest Ward.

Cummings Ward, East Mill Creek
Stake, has been formed from a part of
the Salt Lake City Wilford Ward, with
Virgil F. Hilton as bishop.

Sunset Ward, San Fernando Stake,
has been created from a portion of the
Burbank, California, Ward, with Jo-
seph S. Stinson as bishop.

Studio City Ward, San Fernando
Stake, has been organized from a part
of the North Hollywood Ward, with
David G. Watts as bishop.

Organ Recordings

T^he Church radio, publicity, and mis-
sion literature committee has pro-
duced transcriptions of twenty-two of
the better-known hymns of the Church
as played by Alexander Schreiner on
the tabernacle organ, to be used by the
missions and outlying areas where they
have had no accompaniment for con-
gregational singing.

These transcriptions are of the 16-

inch slow-speed type used by radio sta-
tions and can be played on the portable
machines found in the missions and
stakes. They cannot be used on con-
ventional home-type record players.

West German Mission
A ppointment of Bishop Jean Wun-
derlich of the Las Flores Ward of
the Pasadena Stake, in California, as
president of the West German Mission
has been announced by the First Presi-
dency.

Bishop Wunderlich is a native of Ger-
many. At nineteen years of age he was
called on a mission and served as as-
sociate editor of Der Stern, the publica-
tion of the Swiss-German Mission.

JEAN

WUNDERLICH

After moving to Utah, he served as
associate editor of Der Beobachter,
Latter-day Saint German newspaper,
while attending the University of Utah.
He has also studied at the University of
Chicago, and taught German at both the
University of Utah and Hamilton Col-
lege, Clinton, New York. He has lived
in southern California since 1932
where he is a practising attorney.

President Douglas Wood left the
West German Mission in the hands of
local Saints at the outbreak of World
War II, in 1939. President Wunder-
lich will succeed Max Zimmer, Sr., its
acting president. Accompanied by his
wife, he will make his headquarters at
Frankfurt, Germany.

Chapel Dedicated

"R/Tountain View Ward chapel, Ly-
man Stake, was dedicated October
27, by Elder Clifford E. Young, assist-
ant to the Council of the Twelve.

Deaths from Disease

/^hurch members have a lower death
rate per 100,000 population than
has the white population of the United
States as a whole and the white popula-
tion of the United States, Germany,
France, Netherlands, Sweden, and

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Great Britain, the statistics committee
of the Church have announced. The
tabulation follows:

Six Na-
Deathsfrom Church U.S* tions**

Tuberculosis 4

Cancer 70

Diseases of the

Nervous System .... 71
Diseases of the

Circulatory System..208
Diseases of the

Respiratory System 56
Disease of the

Digestive System.... 23

Kidney Disease 14

Kidney and kindred

diseases (nephritis) 17
Infant Morality (per

1,000 live births

during first year

of life) 27

Maternity (per

1,000 births) 1

•U.S. Health Bureau

** International Health Year-Book

134

79.5

137.5

105

117.6

351

224.0

118.8

63.7

56.9

37
2

Sunday School Manuals

Cunday School manuals for the cen-
tennial year of 1947 have been en-
larged and improved. Three of the
study courses, Life in Ancient Ameri-
ca— A Study of the Book of Momon, by
Leland H. Monson; The Life of Christ,
by Kenneth S. Bennion; and Old Testa-

ment Stories, by Marion G. Merkley,
are replete with colored pictures, a wel-
come addition in the field of Church
literature and teaching aids.

"This Is the Place" Monument
A twenty-six boot panel depicting
the pioneer wagon train which was
under the direction of Willard Rich-
ards, has now been completed as work
progresses on the "This Is the Place"
monument. The Richards' group ar-
rived in the Salt Lake valley July 22,
1847. The sculptor, Mahonri M.
Young, is now at work on a companion
panel representing the arrival of Brig-
ham Young and the other company on
July 24th.

Salt Lake Temple Recorder

"Denjamin L. Bowring has been
named recorder at the Salt Lake
Temple. In this capacity he succeeds
Charles R. Jones who was recently
appointed a counselor in the presidency
of the temple.

S.U.P. Marks Historic Spots

HThe Sons of the Utah Pioneers late
in October marked ten spots of his-
toric interest between Henefer, Utah,
to the site of the "This Is the Place"
monument overlooking Salt Lake City.
Places so marked are: Lone Tree

Camp, Dixie Creek Pony Express Sta-
tion, Taylor Creek (where John Taylor
established an early sawmill), Bauch-
man's Pony Express Station, Big Moun-
tain, Birch Springs (at the foot of Big
Mountain in Mountain Dell Fork),
Ephraim Hank's Mountain Dell Pony
Express Station, Little Mountain, Brig-
ham Young's last camp on his way into
the valley, and Donner's Hill, from the
top of which Orson Pratt and Erastus
Snow had their first complete view of
the Salt Lake valley.

Navy Day

At the suggestion of President George
Albert Smith who had received cor-
respondence from Vice Admiral A. S.
Carpender of the United States Navy,
Navy Day was briefly noted at Church
meetings throughout the day Sunday.
October 27.

Brigham Young University
A record total of 4,330 students regis-
tered at Brigham Young University

for the quarter just ended, it has been
announced.

During the quarter, the Federal
Works Agency transferred to the Brig-
ham Young University a cafeteria for
five hundred students, a woodworking
and machine shop, and a building to
(Continued on page 38)

MISSIONARIES ENTERING THE MISSIONARY HOME
NOVEMBER 4, AND LEAVING NOVEMBER 13, 1946

Reading from left to right, first row: Russell L.
Hulme, Howard L. Merchant, John R. Fish, Earl E.
Hansen, Max B. Webster, Earl B. Nelson, Leander N.
Boyce, Deer Taylor, Lowell Wood, William Love, Clif-
ton Johnson, LaVon S. Fife, Edwin Lloyd Smith, James
Richard Snyder, Tom Harper.

Second row: Wanda Marine Ricks, Joyce Hale,
Louise West, Rulon T. Burton, Frances Hunn, Norma
Thomson, Mercedes Sorenson, Don B. Colton, director;
Vendora C. Grames, Rulu Rudd, Dale Webb Coombs,
Dorathe Anderson, Reva Banks, Willy Fassmann,
Parley Wilson.

Third row: Dorothy Bean, Hazel McBride, Laura
Johnson, Lillian Johnson, Lillian Bingham, Melba Dean
Scott, Adora Kidman, Estella W. Call, Barbara L.
Pickett, Burke V. Waldron, Wayne R. Brown, Walter
H. Durtschi, Jean Norton, Marilyn Branson, Max S.
Beckstead, Emma S. Bennett.

Fourth row: Donald H. Wallace, Ellis Leland Wid-
dison, Beulah Widdison, Barbara Quinney, Margaret
M. Meik, Melva T. Wright, Dorothy Kizerian, Robert
L. Phillips, H. Burdella Terry, Amasa M. Terry,
Thora Irene Swallow, Esther Rowena Houtz, F. Ray
Eakett, LaRue Evans.

Fifth row: Robert L. Borg, Charles W. Martin,
Celia R. Bartholomew, Milton L. Bartholomew, Abner
McRary Widdison, Mary Ellen Widdison, Millard R.
Cosby, Mary J. Cosby, Anna R. Williams, Athenia V.

JANUARY 1947

Henderson, Henry A. Anderson, Jr., Howard M. Beth-
ers, Gordon V. Olsen, Ralph Kent Mortensen, John
Albert Jelte, Virginia Davis.

Sixth row: Albert Choules, Jr., Lynn B. Evans,
Harold E. Shoemaker, Ralph Lundstrom, Derroll E.
Roundy, Orville O. Jeppson, Melvina M. Jeppson, Reid
Scott, Mary J. Scott, Marion Jepson, Jane Jepson,
Iva Lou Peterson, Mildred K. Seegers, Grace Rost.

Seventh row: Paul Stevensen, Clifton D. Stubbs,
Hubert W. Satterthwaite, Vivian M. Allen, Robert Lee
Hamblin, Wallace Eugene Duffin, Orrawell S. Kapple,
Naomi F. Chatfield, A. Kelsey Chatfield, Charles Keith
Anderson, Edward Wayne Wright, Betty Jensen, John
Hallmark, Stella Titus, Joseph Spurrier.

Eighth row: Curtis L. Parke, J. E. Vanderhoof,
Joseph Francis Barton, Roydon N. Rice, Ralph W.
Carling, Jack V. Peck, Leo DeLos Gibbs, James Z.
Geiger, Nellie C. Kapple, William Van Bishop, Ray
George Morgan, Calvin R. Arave, Sheldon L. Baker,
Thelma Morgan, Preal Monk, Robert Bradshaw,
Eugene Birtcher, Glenn W. Skouson.

Ninth row: Lloyd H. Parry, John F. Clarke, Orvil
Scott Hendrix, Sarah Maurine Prestwich, David L.
Hanks, Alma Schwab, Vera Hepworth, Dean S. Francis,
David W. Parry, Nelda Fae Kirkman, Bessie LaVern
Memmott, Venna Louise Jacobsen, Carma Hall, How-
ard Pearson, Glen W. Bateman, Douglas J Reed,
Merrell G. Shupe, Rudger William Ashby.

Tenth row: Oriel Kidman, LaVern J. Wade, Joseph
L. Cummings, Jack E. Bingham, Valden Chamberlain,
Kelly Thurston, L. Vernon Cook, C. Melvin Spjut,

Matthew Leavitt, William H. Garner, Dean Shurtliff,
Earl M. Daines, Melva Lois Evans, J. Kenneth Davies.

Eleventh row: Grant Earl Pollard, Everet Dale
Crowther, Cecil Dan Carroll, Bernetl Ward Evans,
Gear Id Neal, Richard D. Sabin, Willard H. Bradshaw,
James S. Hurst.

Twelfth row: Stephen J. Krider, John E. Nielsen,
J. Lloyd Christensen, Eldon W. Lee, Richard H. Dalton,
Julian B. Fox, Estella Neilson, Dorothy Bolton, Nora
M. Hendriksen, William F. Farnsworth, E. Doyle
Robison, Richard D. Andrus, David Beecroft.

Thirteenth row: Robert E. Parsons, Keith H. Swen-
son, Clare A. Johnson, Richard H. Ogles, Eldon D
Clark, Charles G. Ogles, Robert H. Cook, William

C. Parry, J. Wayne Reid, Clive P. Ririe, John R.
Rampton, LeRio M. Williams, Donovan E. Webb,
Wendell G. Cook.

Fourteenth row: Kenneth A. Anderson, W. Benson
Allen, Jack E. Judkins, Ronald S. Peterson, Leslie W.
Williams, Eugene P. George, Earnest A. Wordstrom,
Stanley G. Steadman, Harold C. Anderson, James
N. Wiltbank.

Fifteenth row: William G. Woolley, Milton Romney,
Hubert B. Fluckiger, Mark R. Berrett, Lyle Watson,
Ray Hulet, Donald Butler, Fay E. Hepworth, Dorset

D. Anderson, George Felsch, Jr., Heber A. Murphy,
Hyrum A. Christensen.

Sixteenth row: David W. Meyer, K. Roger Bean,
Grant L. Wilson, Sherman A. Child, Rolan R. Christen-
sen, W. Clare Hyer, Robert O. Whitney, Eldon E.
Monson.

K^entennlal ^Afc

onzon

"From the nations of the earth came Utah Pio~
neers. Through faith and work, our culture grew.
With rapidly increasing communication and trans-
portation, and with new perspective, vast horizons
lie before us. May the progress of the last hundred
years motivate the exploring of the new frontiers.
Like a procession we march together toward 1947.
. . . May the Lord bless you and yours with health,
opportunity, vision, wisdom, and a desire to serve
with increasing faith our Father which is in heav-

en.

These words from President George Albert
Smith's card of season's greetings could well serve
as a centennial keynote.

Always we must look two ways: toward the
horizon of the past, for experience and wisdom, and
to honor its accomplishment; and toward the
horizon of the future for an awareness of the work
to be done, of life to be lived, of hopes to become
substance.

We would fail conspicuously to honor our pio-
neer progenitors if we dwelt only upon their accom-
plishments. Our doing as well in the second cen-
tury, as they did in the first century (conditions
and opportunities considered), would be their
greatest honor and our greatest service.

Not alone what we have done, but what we must
do, is one of the centennial horizons on which we
must keep our vision fixed.

"May the progress of the last hundred years
motivate the exploring of the New Frontiers."

@5u,ildiviQ ^Aft

mew

New Year — a new life! Thus all fondly believe
as they set out to make the New Year fulfil
all the aspirations and dreams of a lifetime. The
chief trouble is that we have forgotten that our
aspirations can be attained only by a day-by-day
building of ourselves into the persons that we desire
to become. The old adage, "Rome was not built in
a day," can apply equally well to our lives as to
material structures. No swift and sudden change is
going to transform us or our way of life. There
have been but few examples of a Saul becoming a
Paul — and even he had to pass through a period of
teaching by the disciples before he could be sure of
his own changed course of life: "Then was Saul
certain days with the disciples which were at

Damascus." And again, "But Saul increased the
more in strength."

We need to begin in little things that we may
grow in large ones. We need not be discouraged
because our progress is slow, and our achievement
seemingly negligible. Notice that Saul "increased
the more in strength." His progress in his changed
life was by degrees and by dint of prayerful study.
Even after he had been completely accepted be-
cause of his good works among the Church mem-
bers in Damascus, he had to be proved by those in
Jerusalem.

To all of us the changing of lifelong habits seems
heartbreakingly slow, yet the progress of learning
itself is not a rapid one. The law of forgetting
operates along with the law of remembering. Each
of us must consciously struggle to operate under
the desired new action as frequently as possible in
order to make it an habitual action; then the old
habit will be supplanted by a new habit and life
once again can resume a more settled pattern.

And what are some of these desirable character-
istics that we want to make habitual? For each of
us, these characteristics will be different, since each
will have made habitual different ones of them. But
we need to check ourselves against the ideal person
that we want to become and test how we measure
to our standards we have set ourselves. One of
the first checks we should make is whether we live
by truth. Do we deal in half-lies or ingenious
deceptions? Do we delude ourselves and others,
rather than face the sharp truth? If we would be-
come the changed person we desire, we must learn
to face even the discomfort of the facts in order
that we may reach the place where the white light
that is truth will illuminate all our ways. And we
shall find that the discomfort of the half-truths will
disappear and that living in the clearness of truth
is a comfort and a joy.

Other characteristics that we may need to strug-
gle to attain are to be more kindly, more honest,
more trustworthy, respecting ourselves and our
fellow beings more completely and loving them
more fully.

Building such a character for ourselves takes a
lifetime of endeavor and prayerful adherence to
the principles which will make this fruition possible.
Yet, when the struggle has been engaged in suc-
cessfully, there will come a peace, even a peace
that passes understanding, which will make the
struggles seem as nothing in comparison with the
realization. — M. C. J.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

EY10FN0E5 d RraOWRTIDNS

cxiii. *JjLd sfoiepk J^>mitk J-^lan the

l/[/ediu/am r If liaration of the L^karck /

Tn 1847 the Pioneer company entered the Great

Salt Lake valley. They were the forerunners of
the tens of thousands who in orderly procession
toiled across plain and desert in search of a haven
of peace. Their story of suffering, sacrifice, and
eventual success will live while the generations of
men endure. It is fitting that 1947 is dedicated to
the memory of these intrepid men and women, the
founders of the intermountain empire of North
America.

The westward movement of the Latter-day
Saints was not desired by them. Instead it was
thrust upon them. They came west because they
were obliged to do so. They would have preferred
to enjoy their comfortable homes in beautiful Nau-
voo and elsewhere. They were driven out and
forced to seek another place of settlement. It was
with heavy hearts that they trudged through the
winter in Iowa and built temporary homes in Ne-
braska. Had it not been for the courage born of
faith in their destiny, they would have scattered
over the country, and the opening of the west would
have been delayed by many years.

From the time that the boy Joseph Smith had his
first vision, persecution raged around him and his
followers. The trail of the Church from New York,
Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, was littered with
persecutions from enemies, who stooped to every
evil and inhuman device to prevent the progress of
the work. The Latter-day Saints declared that God
can and does speak to his children on earth. That
claim begat the fury of hell in the breasts of men
whose faith and lives were unsound and often cor-
rupt. It was a thorny and bloody path that the
Saints had to follow.

At length the persecuted people found a peace-
ful haven, as they thought, in Illinois. They reared
a beautiful city upon what was an inhospitable
marsh. They were good, state-building citizens.
Nevertheless, opposition and persecution did not
cease. Among neighboring villages, outdistanced
by the city of Nauvoo, hate was fanned into a
destructive flame. Reason does not prevail among
people governed by intolerance.

That these conditions would ultimately compel
another removal of the people became clear to the
mind of the Prophet Joseph, the sustained leader of
the Church. He began to look around for a place
to which his people could move and remain rela-
tively unmolested from unfriendly neighbors. The
far west, then being opened on the Pacific Coast,
was almost naturally the place to which the Proph-
et's mind would be directed. None had as yet sug-

gested settlement in the valleys of the Rocky Moun-
tains or on the surrounding interior deserts. That
seemed to be a place where the Saints could live
undisturbed, at least for a while. The spirit of
revelation confirmed this view.

The Prophet then set about to prepare the peo-
ple for this coming event. Under date of August 6,
1 842, he wrote in his journal:

"Passed over the river to Montrose, Iowa. ... I
prophesied that the Saints would continue to suffer
much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky
Mountains, many would apostatize, others would
be put to death by our persecutors or lose their lives
in consequence of exposure or disease, and some
of you will live to go and assist in making settle-
ments and build cities and see the Saints become a
mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Moun-
tains."1

Anson Call, who was present on that occasion
and wrote his recollection of it, says that the Proph-
et, after uttering this prophecy, began a vivid de-
scription of the western country, much as it really
is. The Prophet also said that Anson Call, Shad-
rach Roundy, and others who were present would
assist in this building of cities among the Rocky
Mountains. He then charged all present to be
faithful, so that the priesthood would prevail over
all enemies.2

More than a year and a half later, on Tuesday,
February 20, 1844, the proposed westward move-
ment began to take shape. The Prophet writes :

"I instructed the Twelve Apostles to send out a
delegation and investigate the locations of Califor-
nia and Oregon, and hunt out a good location,
where we can remove to after the temple is com-
pleted, and where we can build a city in a day, and
have a government of our own, get up into the
mountains, where the devil cannot dig us out, and
live in a healthful climate, where we can live as
old as we have a mind to."a

Prompt action was taken to obey these instruc-
tions, as shown by the following entry:

"At a meeting of the Twelve, at the mayor's of-
fice, Nauvoo, February 21,1 844, seven o'clock p.m.,
Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt,
Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George A. Smith,
Willard Richards and four others being present,
called by previous notice, by instruction of Presi-
dent Joseph Smith on the 20th instant, for the pur-
pose of selecting a company to explore Oregon and
California, and select a site for a new city for the
Saints.

"Jonathan Dunham, Phineas H. Young, David
D. Yearsley, and David Fullmer, volunteered to go;

( Concluded on page 63 )

^History of the Church, V:85

-Ibid.. V:85, 86; Tullidge, Edward, History of Northern Utah and
Southern Idaho. Biographical Supplement, pp. 271-273; Whitney. Orson F.,
History of Utah, Vol. IV. p. 143.
^History of the Church. VI: 222

JANUARY 1947

^DMINESUB GDDKECDRNEiT

HUNGER FOR BEAUTY

By hma Dovey

"T\ean had been bringing red poppies
to the summer-school class. Every
few days he came in with another of
these gorgeous flowers. Miss Corwith
was happy to have them, for they were
so gloriously colorful. One gay red
poppy in a bowl of white and yellow
blossoms made an attractive showing.

Dean spoke a dozen times a day of
the poppy he had brought.

"See, Miss Corwith, it's opening out
now!"

"Look! Look at the poppy now!"

"See my poppy? It's getting bigger."

The blossom, it seemed, was more to
him than a flower which would soon
wilt. It was an expression of beauty.
Dean was a sturdy, vigorous boy, at
times almost rowdy, so it was rather
surprising to find him manifesting this
keen interest in anything as aesthetic as
the beauty of flowers.

Each poppy had meant so much to
him that Miss Corwith was sad indeed
when it was brought to her attention
that Dean had been taking the poppies
from a neighbor's garden. He did not
deny it.

"Didn't you know that I wouldn't
want flowers that were not your own?"
Miss Corwith asked.

Dean did not know, or he had not
stopped to think. He himself was ex-
ceptionally generous and affectionate,
and he was eager for approval. He had
no flowers at home to bring, although
his was a home that supplied good food
and clothes, the best children's maga-
zines, and other evidences of thoughtful
parental care.

At recess, on the day she had learned
of Dean's wrongdoing, Miss Corwith
made two telephone calls — one to Mr.
Stone, the neighbor whose garden had
been invaded, and one to the boy's par-
ents. It was agreed that Dean should
return the poppy he had taken that
morning.

Mr. Stone had been inclined to show
annoyance when the subject was first
mentioned, but his irritation subsided
when the teacher praised his flowers
and described Dean's delight in them.

When talking with Dean's parents,
Miss Corwith made much of their son's
appreciation of the beautiful and urged
that he be given an opportunity to have
a garden of his own. Later, his parents,
who had no ground that could be used

for gardening, tried to locate a small
plot elsewhere, but nothing suitable was
to be found. The best they could do
was to secure the promise of a small
corner garden bed for the following
year.

Dean returned the last-picked blos-
som to Mr. Stone, who accepted it
gravely. "I think you should pay for
the other poppies you took," he said.

"All right," answered Dean rather
weakly, thinking of his very small al-
lowance and wondering how long it
would take him to do this.

"Suppose you help me with my
weeding for fifteen minutes after school
for as many days as you helped yourself
to my flowers," he suggested.

"In this garden?" asked Dean quick-
ly, his eyes big with wonder and de-
light.

"No, in the vegetable garden," was
the grim response. Then, after a mo-
ment's silence he continued, "But when
you've paid for the poppies, we might
do some weeding here, if you wish. For
that work, a few of the flowers would
be rightfully yours."

A little more than a week later an-
other flaming red poppy appeared on
Miss Corwith's desk. Dean gazed at it
ecstatically. "This one is really mine,"
he confided. "I earned it."

RED CROSS

HPhe major tasks of the American Red
Cross in 1947 are:

1 . Continued service to veterans and
their families

2. Continued service to the men in
army and navy hospitals, to those
serving with the occupation forces
overseas, and to their families

3. Continued service to the commu-
nity— disaster service, blood donor
service, first aid, water safety, ac-
cident prevention, nurse's aide,
and other health, welfare, and
educational services

Josephine B. Nichols

'T'hese days, with food prices sky-
rocketing, homemakers must make
every last penny of the food dollar do
its bit toward nutritious and palatable
meals.

The following menus are low in cost,
and include all the necessary food ele-
ments required daily.

Menu I

Breakfast

Stewed Apples filled with Oatmeal Cereal

Top Milk Sugar

Toast Butter

Milk

Lunch

Spaghetti and Cheese

Raw Carrot Sticks

Whole Wheat Bread Butter

Milk

Dinner

Beef Loaf*

Baked Potatoes Green Beans

Grapefruit, Orange Salad

Bread Butter

Caramel Custard*

Menu II

Breakfast

Tomato Juice

French Toast Butter

Jam Milk

Lunch

Navy Bean Soup*

Toasted Cheese Sandwiches

Apple Butter

Dinner

Lamb Chops

Scalloped Potatoes Buttered Beets

Mixed Green Salad

Bread Butter

Apricot Upside-Down Cake*

Milk

*Recipes

Beef Loaf

\.l/2 pounds ground beef
1 ]/2 cups bread crumbs
1 chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt — pepper
x/2 cup milk or tomato juice

Combine meat, crumbs, and seasoning.
Add liquid; mix well; place in loaf pan.
Bake in oven (350° F.) for one hour. The
flavor may be varied by ( 1 ) using catsup
as part liquid; (2) using one-half teaspoon
sage, chopped celery leaves, or parsley:
(3) using one-fourth pound ground salt
pork. ■

Navy Bean Soup

2 cups navy beans (soaked overnight!

3 quarts water
1 ham bone

}/2 teaspoon sugar
1 large onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Cook beans in water until nearly tender,
Add other ingredients, cook until beans and
celery are soft. Put through sieve and
thicken slightly, if desired. Serve hot. Will
serve eight to ten people.

Caramel Custard

4 eggs
Yz cup sugar

4 cups milk, scalded
J/2 teaspoon vanilla
x/2 teaspoon salt

Caramelize one-fourth cup of sugar and
add scalded milk. Stir until it dissolves.

Beat eggs slightly, add remaining sugar,
salt, and vanilla. Add scalded milk mix-
ture. Pour into custard cups or baking dish.
Set in a pan of hot water and bake at 325*
F. for forty minutes or until firm. Serve hot
or cold.

Apricot Upside-Down Cake

2 cups drained apricots
V2 cup apricot juice
% teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

Arrange fruit and fruit juice in well
greased nine-inch round or square baking
dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with
nutmeg.

Cake

J4 cup shortening

l/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

J4 teaspoon salt

]/2 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons milk

Cream shortening and sugar, add egg,
beat well. Sift the dry ingredients; add al-
ternately with milk to the first mixture.
Beat well. Add vanilla. Pour the batter
over the apricots. Bake twenty-five minutes
at 375° F.

HanAfni

mts

Payment for Handy Hints used will be
one dollar upon publication. In the event
that two with the same idea are submitted,
the one postmarked earlier will receive the
dollar. None of the ideas can be returned,
but each will receive careful consideration.

Try snapping shoulder pads in wash
dresses. Sew snaps on each corner of the
pad and at the place where the point goes
along the seam of the dress. This way the
shoulder pads can easily be removed and
won't need to be washed every time the
dress is washed. — /. C. B„ Faitview, Utah.

When preparing to grate carrots, do not
cut the tops completely off, but leave about
an inch of green on the carrot. This pro-
vides a convenient handle to hold during
the operation, and makes it possible to
grate all of the carrot with ease. — N. R. D.,
Ogden, Utah.

To separate an angel food or sponge
cake into serving pieces without crushing,
use two forks. Start at top, work down;
gently pull cake apart. — M. H., Salt Lake
City, Utah.

JANUARY 1947

Winter

makes no difference

Bundled against the cold, your baby cannot
get the benefit of sunshine (to create vita-
min D in his body) during the winter. But
this makes no difference if he is fed Sego
Milk. Babies fed on this extraordinary milk
receive their requirements of the sunshine
vitamin as surely in winter as in summer.

Fortified with 400 units of pure vitamin D3
to the quart (half Sego — half water) Sego
Milk always provides all the vitamin D the
normal baby needs — when all the milk in
his diet is Sego Milk.

Furthermore, Sego Milk is more easily di-
gested. It is uniformly rich in the food
substances of whole milk, and is as safe in
its sealed container as if there were no germ
of disease in the world.

Ask your doctor about Sego Milk for your
baby.

To get a free copy of "Your Baby" — a 64-page
illustrated book — and Mary Lee Taylor's new
recipe booklet "Meals Men Like" just write to:

EGQ

VITAMIN

S^ltA. ■

"^"wwa&SW

SEGO MILK PRODUCTS COMPANY, Dept. S-2, 159 West 1st So., Salt Lake City 1, Utah

Keep abreast of important centennial happenings

through

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

12 issues

$2.00

■^ i^K A^^ A^^k A^^ ^t. j*^^>v j*V >»**^^i. j*V. >*^^V. /S. ^"*^\. ./V. j****^^

Improvement Era
Subscribers . . .

The ERA gives you much of
the best current CHURCH
LITERATURE. Within its cov-
ers you find each month au-
thoritative material written or
spoken by our Church leaders.

Has it occurred to you what
priceless gems of theology,
poetry and down-to-earth gos-
pel you have in the year-by-
year volumes of this maga-
zine?

Why not preserve them for
your future reference and your
children's edification? We urge
you to do so.

Single volumes (12 numbers) bound

in durable, attractive, blue cloth

binding, stamped in gold $2.25

each plus postage.

Ten or more volumes at one time
$2.00 each plus postage.

Bring them in or mail them to us

NOW!

e*s

The
Deseret Jews Press

29 Richards Street, Salt Lake City
o^«><3K><^O^x><S>0<3k><3k><3*>0

TEA GARDEN also makes SYRUP
PRESERVES* MARMALADE* GRAPE JUICE
36

I'M %t A

JUVENILE DELINQUENT

President David O. McKay said a
few years before the beginning of
this war, "If I were asked to name
the world's greatest need I should say,
unhesitatingly, wise mothers and exem-
plary fathers. If mother love were but
half rightly directed and if fatherhood
were but half what it should be, in ex-
ample and honor, much of the sorrow
and wickedness in the world today
would be overcome." How much
greater is this need today?

A young girl I know is an example of
this worth-while way of living. She is
seventeen and a member of a large
family. She lives in a home that can
really be called a home. Her mother
has sympathy, understanding, interest;
she likes to do things young people are
interested in and her father has plenty
of time to talk things over. One of the
uppermost factors which keep their
home life happy and keeps every mem-
ber living the best he knows is their
religion. They have a religion that af-
fords constant training and takes care
of their recreation and fun, too. It
supervises their activities and builds
their ideals. This girl has a purpose;
she knows she wants to be a concert
violinist; and she keeps that goal in
mind. She has little time to become
delinquent. She must do the breakfast
dishes and vacuum the living room floor
to rate her allowance. She has been
taught that idleness is the devil's work-
shop and that a busy person is a happy
person. There is companionship in
their family between the children and
the parents. It gives every member a
feeling of security.

And then there's Jimmy, who lives up
the street. He comes from what might
be called the "slum area" but what is
his home like? When Jimmy gets dis-
couraged, his father puts his arm around
him and says, "You're O. K., Jim. I
have faith in you, and I always will
have. I know you'll do all right." Jim-
my believes this because his father
means it. When he comes home from
school, Mom's there with a glass of
milk and a cookie, and she sits down
by him to let him tell her about every-
thing. His friends, too, are always wel-
come. His parents are fine and clean,
and they love each other, and they love
him. They have to work hard for a
living, but they make him feel he's
worth it. He wants to make good for
them. Every week they have a family
meeting to talk over their problems.
He's not delinquent.

HSu Colleen Kuibbo

A YOUNG WRITER

Kjibbc

Bob has a job after school, and he
builds model airplanes in his spare time.
On Sunday he and his parents walk to
Church together. Bob's a tease, but his
folk understand. He likes school be-
cause he feels his teachers believe in
him. He has a super Boy Scout leader
who is A-l. Bob doesn't know fear,
because where there is faith, there is
no room for fear. He's happy, and I
guess anybody who is happy can't get
into trouble. Bob isn't delinquent. You
will find few delinquents where there is
a happy home life with a good father
and a good mother.

HpHE feeling of insecurity at home,
scolding, and indifference on the
part of parents, inadequate living ne-
cessities, lack of a standard of values,
drinking and smoking, are some of the
tragic conditions which breed a juv-
enile delinquent. These are things
which destroy the youth's purpose, his
sense of security, his interest in living
and the good feeling of being believed
in. These are reasons why something
must be done.

What will it be?

Yes, Uncle Sam may be able to do
much to curb juvenile delinquency. He
can clear out the slums. He can replace
them with low-cost housing, with ade-
quate light and clean air; he can build
recreation centers and playgrounds and
gymnasiums. He can pay the highest
wages to trained leaders who will take
care of children for parents who work.
He can understand that the way to
guarantee good citizens is to provide
plenty of the right things for his chil-
dren to do. He can deal with juveniles
liberally and correctively, and I think
he will. But Uncle Sam can't do it all.
Mother and father must do the biggest
part. Home! What can be done here
is much more important than what
Uncle Sam can do.

Put a boy in a good home, and he's
on the right track. He'll do things. Put
another boy out in the street. He's
stuck. The major causes of, and the
cures for, juvenile delinquency, lie in
the home. Every young man and every
young woman begins life with the de-
sire to do good. Then, parents, please
take careful note of the various forces
which, as life unfolds, will influence
and determine whether or not we, the
youth of today, are the proud fulfillers
of a purpose or victims of a condition.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA.

The force that Keeps the
Statue of Liberty
from Crumbling...

(MrfMIES YourB/gftief

IF it were not for the strange attractive force
that exists between molecules of matter,
the Statue of Liberty t for instance, or in fact
your car, your house, this paper you hold in
your hand would crumble into powder.

No one knows exactly what the force of
molecular attraction is, but it can be controlled.
And by controlling this basic force, Conoco
scientists are able to bring you and America's
millions of motorists new and better oils.

In fact, by utilizing molecular attraction, a
special ingredient of Conoco Nth motor oil is
attracted to working surfaces of your engine.
So strong is this attraction that cylinder walls
and other parts are oil-plated.

And because molecular attraction holds
Conoco oil-plating up where it belongs . . .
prevents it from all draining down to the crank-
case, even overnight ... you get these benefits:

added protection during the vital periods
when you first start your engine

added protection from corrosive action
when your engine is not in use

added protection from wear that leads to
fouling sludge and carbon

added smooth, silent miles

That's why you'd be safer to oil-plate your
engine now ... at Your Conoco Mileage Mer-
chant's. Look for the red triangle. Continental
Oil Company

*&%£.

JANUARY 1947

THE CHURCH MOVES ON

( Continued from page 31 )
provide twenty classrooms and twenty-
four faculty offices. These facilities
were originally located at the Ogden
arsenal. At the time of transfer, this
government agency announced that
2,509 veterans were attending the
Church university.

Utah State Agricultural College

A n independent branch of the Church
has been organized near the Utah
State Agricultural College, Logan,
Utah. The branch is comprised of all
families living in the housing projects
adjacent to the college campus. The
branch president is Elmer E. Broadbent.

University of Utah

A T impressive and colorful rites, com-
pleted October 16, 1946, and at-
tended by leaders of Church and state,
as well as delegates from many of the
nation's institutions of higher learning,
Dr. Albert Ray Olpin was inaugurated
as president of the University of Utah.

The Church In Utah

rpHE Church statistical committee re-
leased these figures late in Novem-
ber:

The Church in Utah has a member-
ship of 467,524, or 74.21 percent of
Utah's population, which is estimated
at 630,000.

Salt Lake City has a total mem-
bershop of 113,943, or 65.11 percent
of the estimated 175,000 living in Salt
Lake City.

For years it has been popularly be-
lieved that the state was sixty percent
"Mormon," and Salt Lake City was
forty percent "Mormon."

Excommunications

^""WENIFER LENORE BELL DUNNAGE. Ex-

^■^ communicated September 22, 1946, in
the Queensland District, Australian Mission.

Beatrice A. Faber, born January 23, 1908.
Excommunicated September 21, 1946, in the
Miller Ward, South Salt Lake Stake.

Walter Paul Faber, born August 9, 1905,
elder. Excommunicated September 21, 1946,
in the Miller Ward, South Salt Lake Stake.

Ira Millett, born December 17, 1889,
elder. Excommunicated September 26, 1946,
in the Fourth Ward, Temple View Stake.

Virgil Ralph Montagne, born January 3,
1916, no priesthood. Excommunicated Oc-
tober 1, 1946, in the La Grande Second
Ward, Union Stake.

Jeanie Pritchett McPhillips, born Novem-
ber 30, 1906. Excommunicated September
29, 1946, in the Huntington Park Ward,
South Los Angeles Stake.

Calista May Pritchett Meiling Plyler,
born September 28, 1901. Excommunicated
September 29, 1946, in the Huntington Park
Ward, South Los Angeles Stake.

Roberta Meiling Plyler, born July 28, 1921.
Excommunicated September 29, 1946, in the
Huntington Park Ward, South Los Angeles
Stake.

Lina K. Steinhouse, born April 26, 1863.
Excommunicated August 11, 1946, in the
Brigham First Ward, South Box Elder
Stake.

Maud Milner Siler Blight, born June 6.
1922. Excommunicated November 4, 1946.
in the Eureka Ward, Santaquin-Tintic
Stake.

Arthur K. Deutsch, born January 1, 1892:
elder. Excommunicated September 4, 1946,
in the San Francisco Ward, San Francisco
Stake.

John Henry Edwards, born March 20,
1888; seventy. Excommunicated September
18, 1946, in the San Francisco Ward, San
Francisco Stake.

Alan Leon Fonnesbeck, born July 27,
1921; deacon. Excommunicated September
15, 1946, in the Logan Eighth Ward, Logan
Stake.

Elna Woodbury Gallaher, born July 13.
1927. Excommunicated November 10, 1946,
in the Elmhurst Ward, Oakland Stake.

Frank Valdemar Jensen, born May 30,
1911; elder. Excommunicated November 6,
1946, in the Walnut Park Ward, South Los
Angeles Stake.

Weber G. Lund, born December 19, 1922;
teacher. Excommunicated October 27,
1946, in the Elmhurst Ward, Oakland
Stake.

Henry Franklin Perkins, born February
27, 1911. Excommunicated November 10,
1946, in the Logan Eleventh Ward, Logan
Stake.

Lewis W. Rhodes, born May 7, 1879;
priest. Excommunicated October 20, 1946,
in the Claremont Ward, Oakland Stake.

(Concluded on page 54)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

{torn a neighbors farm

Safeway's Farm Reporter keeps tab on how farm-
ers make work easier, cut operating costs? improve
crop quality. Safeway reports his findings because
we Safeway people know that exchanging good
ideas helps everybody. After all, more than a third
of our customers are farm folks.

This special extra-size grapple fork, developed by
Oregon State College agricultural engineers,
transfers 6 large or 8 small bales of hay at one
time from truck or wagon to barn mow. It cuts
job time 50% compared with ordinary grapple
fork or sling methods. Eight tines or hooks, four
on each side of main frame, are inserted slightly
inside center of bales as they rest end to end on
load. Trip rope pulled when bales enter mow
transfers weight from main frame to chains on
either side. These chains are connected with iron
pipes passing through the bend or elbow of each
tine. When weight of bales is transferred to the
tines at this point, tines withdraw, allowing bales
to drop into mow. Main frame measures 64 inches
long by 19 inches wide. Trip mechanism was taken
from grapple fork used on long hay.

tf/IRVesr &RR/ERS F/TTED

7b 7tfcm Spec/al Jobs.. .

This field cabbage

cart, with wheels

spaced to straddle

two 2-row beds, is

loaded by stoop

laborers. Tractor

hauls load from

field to packing shed where lever at side of cart is

pulled to tilt cart, slide cabbages onto floor. Cart

was built by Hunt Brothers in the California

Imperial Valley.

"Asparagus sleds" are
built from old cars by
J. R. Gosser of Holt,
California. Wheel base
is shortened, and chas-
sis width narrowed to
straddle asparagus bed.
Lever at rear of wood
body controls speed.
Picker steps off to gather
bunches of cut asparagus.

Special rebuilt mo-
tor trucks with 4-
wheel drive and ex-
tra wide wheel base
to straddle two 2-
row beds are used
in lettuce harvest
around Salinas, California. The trucks are rebuilt
to growers' order in local shops. Resulting speedup
in harvest helps get fresher lettuce to consumers.

Wesley Krajicek,of Papillion, Nebraska, calls
this his "drown -proof" lamb waterer. Note
guard board mounted above and around the
trough. This board prevents lambs from
climbing into the water, or being pushed in,
when they come for a drink. So effective is
this simple device that Krajicek hasn't lost
a single lamb by drowning during 5 years.

To****: foe**

*#>

Around the Visalia area in California a few
seasons back, blight was damaging the to-
mato crop. Safeway's on-the-ground produce
buyer asked the State Agricultural College
at Davis for help in meeting this grower
problem. Here he learned about a new blight-
resistant tomato strain developed at Penn-
sylvania State College. The Safeway man
obtained some of the new seeds and urged
Visalia growers to try them. Growers who
used the new seed reported excellent results.
Safeway produce men often recommend ways
to improve quality and yield, and such efforts
— by encouraging consumption — help give
growers a more profitable market.

• Safeway buys direct, sells direct, to cut
"in-between" costs

• Safeway buys regularly, offering pro-
ducers a steady market ; when purchasing
from farmers Safeway accepts no broker-
age, either directly or indirectly

• Safeway pays going prices or better, never
offers a price lower than producer quotes

• Safeway stands ever ready to help move
surpluses

• Safeway sells at lower prices, made pos-
sible by direct, less costly distribution . . .
so consumers can afford to increase their
consumption

SAFEWAY— *^e neighborhoo(i

grocery stores

JANUARY 1947

* D N TH E B D D K RHG

THE TRUTH SEEKER

AND MORMONISM

(Dr. Joseph F. Merrill. Deseret Book

Company, Salt Lake City, Utah.

1946. 269 pages. $1.00.)

T I 'His excellent book has grown out of con-
-*- tinued requests for the series of radio
addresses delivered by Dr. Joseph F. Merrill
from July through December 1945. It is
the testimony of a "scientist, educator, and
churchman," who has learned to accept all
truth and make it part of his religion. It
brings together objective evidence and per-
sonal conviction concerning the reality of
God who moves "in his majesty and pow-
er" in accordance with truth — whether it be
the truth which men call science or the
truth which they call religion. The twenty-
seven chapters of this work on many phases
of science and religion will deservedly find
many earnest readers. — R. L. E.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

(Marvin O. Ashton. Bookcraft Company,
Salt Lake City, Utah. 1946.
332 pages. $3.00.)

Whoever listened to Marvin O. Ashton
loved him, for he loved people and
drew them to him through his graphic
figurative language and his pointed stories.
This book brings together some of his ar-
ticles and stories so that those who loved
him may have him with them in their homes
always. The volume vibrates with his per-
sonality, which was a rare combination of
wit and wisdom, and abounds in truth which
all need to know and apply. The book is
fully illustrated, thus emphasizing by draw-
ing the printed word. — M. C. J.

HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
(Edgar J. Goodspeed. The John C.
Winston Company, Boston, Mass.
224 pages. $2.50.)

SINCE the Bible is not one book, but a li-
brary of books, it should be read book by
book, and subject by subject, rather than
continuously from beginning to end. To
make such a reading possible, this book clas-
sifies the books of the Bible, and adds brief
but helpful comments on each book. It sug-
gests that the reading begin with the Gos-
pels, placing Mark first; then follow the other
books, classified as biographies, speeches,
orations and sermons, history, poetry, fiction,
letters, and visions and revelations. There is
also a chapter on the historical background
of Bible books; and another on the chrono-
logical order of the books for those who pre-
fer to read the Bible that way. A brief his-
tory of the English Bible concludes the vol-
ume. This classification and the assembled
materials should be very helpful to Bible
readers. The comments and the chronology
are of course subject to the differing theoret-
ical opinions of Bible scholars. — J. A. W.

THE MOUNTAINS ARE MINE
(Helen Hinckley. Vanguard Press, New
York. 394 pages. $2.75.)

THIS intriguing story of early pioneer days
in Utah is told honestly and well. The
fortunes of two polygamous families form
the basic theme of the novel. Why one is
successful and the other a failure is made
plain through the very human behavior of
the main characters. With great delicacy

the inner souls of the people are probed,
until the great issues of their lives lie bare.
However, this is detected only by the
thoughtful reader. The book is not preachy.
Rather, it holds the interest from the begin-
ning to the end by a series of events un-
folding human loves, hopes, fears and pas-
sions. Not a page must be missed.

It is refreshing to find a novel with a
"Mormon" background, unusually well
written, of compelling interest, which does
not need to draw upon untruthful delinea-
tions and the garbage of life to make itself
interesting. Throughout the land there is a
growing revulsion against the sewer-litera-
ture which has been foisted upon us in re-
cent years. Miss Hinckley's style is of last-
ing, classical quality. We have the right to
expect much good literature from her mind
and pen.

The Mountains Are Mine should be read
widely by "Mormon" and non-"Mormon,"
for the history it contains and the vivid
description of the vagaries of the human
soul.—/. A. W.

FARMER TAKES A WIFE
(John Gould. Morrow and Company, New
York. 1946. 153 pages. $2.00.)
'T'he fun of farm life is the basis for this
•*■ book, and if it doesn't make most city-
bred folk long to get a place in the country,
there's something wrong with the city-bred
folk — that's all. It also makes a person want
to find out something about his ancestors
so that he may have some tales with which
to regale his grandchildren. The book is
conducive to better family life — and more
fun in it. It is recommended highly for both
rural and urban people.— M. C. /.

NEW RICHES FROM THE SOIL

(Wheeler McMillen. D. Van Nostrand,
Inc., New York. 396 pages. $3.00.)

THE progress of chemurgy is the theme of
this fascinating book. Chemurgy is the
development of new industrial uses for farm
grown materials, and the establishment of
new farm crops. It is. the association of
science, industry, and agriculture for the
common good. Though this movement is
less than two decades old, it has accom-
plished much. Industrial uses have been
found for corn, oats, the fibre plants, and
many other crops. Farm wastes, such as
discarded corn cobs, oat hulls, sawdust and
lumber chips, have been converted by sci-
ence into useful substances with cash values.
Starches, oils, industrial alcohol, and even
rubber have been won from farm materials.
As the work progresses, fear from farm
surpluses is vanishing. The combination of
farm and factory is bringing about a more
profitable and a happier mode of living. In
twenty-three chapters the distinguished
originator and president of the National
Farm Chemurgic Council, who is also the
editor of the Farm Journal, tells the story of
past accomplishments in this field, and gives
a glimpse of the future. The book is writ-
ten in simple, entertaining language. Once
begun it will not be laid down until finished.
Every farmer and farmer's wife would read
it with interest; every industrialist would
profit by becoming acquainted with chem-
urgy; and all citizens who are concerned
with our national welfare would have their
imaginations stirred by the industrial value

of farm products as revealed by science. In
the irrigated West, this movement is of
particular importance. The initial costs of
dams, canals, and farm structures, and of
the operation and maintenance of the sys-
tems, make a heavy charge against irriga-
tion agriculture, which can be met chiefly
by the growing of more intensive crops,
notably those that are useful to the factory.
The West should keep in close touch with
chemurgy. The book itself reads better than
most fiction. — /. A. W.

THE COLORADO

(Frank Waters. Rinehart £> Company,

New York. 400 pages. $3.00.)

r J 'his latest of the rivers of America books

-*■ maintains generally the high standard
of the series. In three main divisions there
are discussed the historical background of
our knowledge of the Colorado River, the
people in or near its drainage basin, and the
future use of the river for economic, social,
and recreational purposes. There are excel-
lent descriptions of the river and its con-
tributing territory; the historical material is
spiced with much Indian and gossipy lore;
the magnitude of the river possibilities is
presented in a convincing manner. There is
a fairly complete bibliography and a good
index. All interested in the Colorado River,
one of America's greatest resources, will
welcome the book.

One wonders, however, why it was neces-
sary to drag the "Mormons" and their his-
tory into this volume. Their relation to the
Colorado would have seemed enough. Curi-
ously, the story of the march of the Mor-
mon Battalion across Arizona is not men-
tioned. The thirteen "Mormon" pages are
crowded with historical misstatements and
the author's personal opinion about a sub-
ject of which he clearly knows little, and
that inaccurately. After paying unscholar-
ly attention to Joseph Smith, the Book of
Mormon, Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young,
and in general to all "Mormons," he charges
them with murders as part of a blood atone-
ment practice. For all this he quotes only
one author, M. R. Werner — enough said!
It is to be hoped that he is unaware that in
this field he is far behind historical progress.
These pages mar the book greatly, and
leave doubt as to accuracy elsewhere or
anywhere in the book. — /. A. W.

LAND OF PROMISE

(Walter Havighurst. The Macmillan
Company, New York.
384 pages. $3.00.)

* I 'his story of the Northwest Territory —
-*- Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin
— is of special interest to Latter-day Saints,
because in this region the Church spent sev-
eral of its earliest years. The book is es-
sentially a history, and a good one, begin-
ning with the earliest pioneer years. The
conquest of America, of which we are prop-
erly proud, was much the same everywhere
• — -varying only in the intensity of the labor
required. The reading of this book, though
in no sense a religious treatise, furnishes a
good background for understanding the
difficulties of the "Mormons" in Ohio and
Illinois. Besides, it is a most interesting
chapter of American history, well written,
and enlivened with legends, anecdotes, and
colorful episodes.— J. A. W.

(Continued on page 49)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

^fcNIDCTirc

MYSTERIOUS GIFTS

By Evelyn Fjeldsted

TPhe fortress like an eagle fought her way
■*■ Against the shrieking headwinds toward

her base.
The men were thinking of the grave delay,
When through the "intercom" unchartered

space
Brought Christmas carols on the radio,
Remembering through song, the land that

sings —
The wonderful free life of long ago —
To Chad was like the hope that sunlight

brings.
And then the great plane like the wounded

bird
That long has battled with the windswept

clouds
Was sinking — sinking into cloud banks

blurred
And threatening, rising up with hidden

shrouds.

Is time a moment or eternity
When men are lost and not a move to make
Within relentless weird vacuity?
To keep from thinking, yet to stay awake,
With pencil stub, indelible and bold,
Painstakingly Chad wrote the name "Mary"
Upon his grounded parachute's limp fold
And later somewhere in security
In dreams he walked again with Mary Lee;
He saw the bronzed fields at yielding time —
The carved initials in the nooning tree,
Near pasture hills where stillness was sub-
lime,
The old slow moon that rolled above the

hills
To throw soft scintillating lights among
The trees that touched the upstairs window

sills
Where autumn-painted sweet wistaria clung
And springtime with its measured warmth

and cold,
The winds that tumble dust instead of

planes,
The half-blown flowers reaching up to hold
Clean melting snow and gentle sunlit rains.

When chimney smoke-wreaths laced the

friendly sky,
Mysterious gifts and waiting mistletoe
Expressed the Christmas spirit that drew

nigh
To all America's warm hearth side glow,
And there were lights and bells with joyful

tone
When Chad reached home — the end of war's

long route.
And this strange thing the little town had

known.
A Christmas dress made from a parachute

Was Mary's gift — a snow white nylon

dress;
Her friends had seen her name upon its

folds
And who can know or who can ever guess
The facts this story of the moment holds.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT AN
OLD HOUSE

SORROW'S LESSON

By Rey R. Torres
A Young Writer

""Pis well all souls were made to suffer
■*• That each for other's woes might feel;

For pain unlocks the door of mercy —
So learns the wounding hand to heal.

JANUARY 1947

By Ora Pate Stewart
here's something about an old house

It may be an old Virginia mansion
With wide floor boards

That creak beneath ghost feet

Dancing a wild quadrille

In a drawing room,

To the tinkling music

Of the wind

Over broken strings

Of an old harpsichord . . .

It may be a Georgia hut
Squatting in a pecan grove,
Crisped with the southern sun,
And overdone . . .
Its life juices fried away . . .

But through its paneless windows

I can see

The play of pickaninnies

Of another day . . .

It may be the sturdy cabin of the West,

Walled with the ax-hewn lengths of tam-
arack,

And chinked with buffalo dung

And prairie mud . . .

Dirt roofed, and bloody raftered,

Where the quarry hung

Of antelope or bear . . .

I see the scalp lock of an Indian
As he rides past
On a pinto mare . . .

There is something about an old house . . .

It may be that when the flesh and blood and

breath
That was the house
Is spent,

The spirit of itself,
Ghost guard,
Is sent

To watch the crumbling bones
Into decay

A silent sentry

Who can know

No death!

NIGHT PLANE
By Harold Gerard

I heard a plane go over in the night,
And icy fingers gripped about my heart.
I made a sudden movement toward the
light-
How strange that after months I still
should start
And tremble once again in sudden fright
Because of just an airplane in its flight.

The nights that bred this fear were long

ago,
But there are little children who must

weep
Whenever peaceful airplanes fly too low
And arouse them troubled once again

from sleep.
May God forbid that future children know
As did these present ones, such things are

so.

» — >

SNOW

By Lalia Mitchell Thornton

The snow, a veil of loveliness, has made
the whole world new,
No longer parched and withered fields where

once spring blossoms grew,
No longer dusty wayside shrubs; but how

was I to know
It was God who sent to bless the world , his
benison of snow.

I watched it drifting soft and still, over

roofs and garden ways;
I sighed because I thought it meant the end

of perfect days;
I saw familiar objects fade; and how was

I to tell
God sent it as a blessing to the world he

loves so well.

SHOSHONE CANYON

By Martha Stewart
Age, 12 Years

God made Shoshone Canyon for all to see
and enjoy,
And as he sat thinking of what kinds of

nature to employ,
He thought wouldn't it be wonderful to make
A cathedral of spires and domes, pinnacles

and pines,
Small blooming flowers and green, creeping

vines,
To give to all mankind an inspiration
And instil it deep within their hearts and

minds.

And so he set in motion the elements of

nature,
The rains to sweep, the winds to blow,
The frost to chisel and chip, the rivers to

gouge,
The sun to beat and the cold to bite and nip.

So now, we see before us the great canyon

of Shoshone.
And isn't it grand to live in a land
Where God to us can loan
Red sandstone cliffs and sloping hills
And the River of Shoshone?

A QUESTION FOR THE
PRIESTHOOD-

WU WoJd J Be,

t ^Jkeie ^Jklna5 f

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto
all nations; and then shall the end come.
(Matt. 24:14.)

For though I preach the gospel, I have
nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid
upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach
not the gospell (I Cor. 9:16.)

'"Phe preaching of the gospel to the
entire world is the great mission
which the Lord assigned to the priest-
hood of his Church. The Lord by rev-
elation has repeatedly declared to in-
quiring individuals that the thing which
would be of "greatest worth" to them
would be to cry repentance unto the
world.

Due to priestcraft and transgression,
the inhabitants of the earth close the
heavens against themselves. Many, be-
cause of this, lose faith in some of the
most basic realities in true religion; but
to those who love and serve the Lord
in righteousness and truth, the mysteries
of the kingdom are revealed through the
gift and power of the Holy Ghost— by
which gift and power men "may know
the truth of all things." Take from the
Church of Christ the divine principle of
revelation, and it would be reduced im-
mediately to "creed" status. Dogma,
the teachings of men, would soon be
taught for doctrine. Faith in the true
and Living God would soon give way
to some form or other of idolatrous
worship. Light would give way to over-
whelming darkness. Such was the case
for centuries prior to the restoration of
the gospel.

As with the Church, so it is with in-
dividuals. Take from a man who has
seen the light, the Spirit of the Lord,
and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and he
becomes as "other men." He is soon

. . . walking in his own way, and after
the image of his own God, whose image is
in the likeness of the world, and whose sub-
stance is that of an idol, which waxeth old
and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon
the great, which shall fall. (See D. & C.
1:16.)

No brother can lose the Spirit, for-
sake the ministry unto which he has
been called, and still retain faith in the
gospel of our Lord. Each priesthood
bearer must therefore make frequent
search of his soul to learn whether he is
giving "... diligent heed to the words
of eternal life," and whether he is striv-
ing to "live by every word that proceed-

eth forth from the mouth of God." (See
D. & C. section 84.)

Those who enjoy a testimony of the
truth do so because "flesh and blood
have not revealed it" but our Father
which is in heaven. "... the Spirit en-
lighteneth every man through the world,
that hearkeneth to the voice of the
Spirit. And every one that hearkeneth
to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto
God, even the Father. And the Father
teacheth him of the covenant. . . . ( See
D. & C. Sec. 84. ) Those who come not
unto the Lord "lieth in sin, and groaneth
under darkness and under the bondage
of sin. And by this you may know
they are under the bondage of sin, be-
cause they come not unto me. For who-
so cometh not unto me is under the
bondage of sin." (See D. & C. 84:49-
51.)

Those belonging to the priesthood
should pause occasionally and reflect
upon the great things made known,
without which the term "salvation"
could have little meaning, but with
which is the promise of "eternal life," an
objective worthy of every human ef-
fort.

The great sin of all ages has been
that of idolatry—the mother of all vices.
For this reason, and knowing the great
influence of Satan in the earth, the Lord
declared first to ancient Israel:

I am the Lord thy God, which have
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have
no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:2, 3.)

The world has set up "other gods,"
but to us has been revealed anew:

1. The true and Living God, whom
to know is "life eternal"

2. His relationship to us, his children,
made in his image, and existing
with him in the spirit before the
earth was created for the benefit
and blessing of his offspring

3. Our utter dependence upon Jesus
Christ, the "Only Begotten Son of
God in the flesh," as our Savior
and Redeemer; the promise that
we may become "joint heirs" with
him in the kingdom of our Father,
through the power of the resur-
rection and our obedience to the
gospel as taught by our Savior,
and restored anew through the
Prophet Joseph Smith

With the loss of the knowledge of
God, and man's relationship to him

came the loss to man of many things
pertaining to the Lord's plan of salva-
tion. Revelation ceased being a con-
tinuing living thing with the people for
their guidance.

The earth also is defiled under the in-
habitants thereof; because they have trans-
gressed the laws, changed the ordinance,
broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore
hath the curse devoured the earth, and they
that dwell therein are desolate. . . . (Isaiah
24:5, 6.)

With our understanding by revela-
tion of things pertaining to eternal life
we are indeed a favored people. With
this knowledge there is born a faith and
hope that is not known in the world,
and gives true purpose to life.

The problems of life can only be
solved in the light of the understanding
of basic principles governing life, the
gospel pattern. With this understand-
ing all things fit into a harmonious pat-
tern, and faith is justified, and true joy
is derived. This is as it should be, for
"man is that he might have joy." With-
out this understanding the pattern be-
comes distorted, there is a lack of har-
mony, things do not seem to bear proper
relationships to other things, with a re-
sultant loss of faith. Without faith, life
appears aimless and meaningless, with
confusion, disappointment, and dis-
content inevitable.

Without this knowledge men cannot
find the things in life it is natural for
them to hope for and expect from life.

It is veritably true that "man is saved
no faster than he gains knowledge," and
that "the glory of God is intelligence."
The religion of the Latter-day Saints is
superior to all others because it pos-
sesses by revelation greater knowledge
of things pertaining to eternal truth. It
has been truly said: "The man will live
best, who has the best recipe for living."

Take this revealed knowledge of
things pertaining to eternal life from us
and we are indeed poor. The world
generally lacking divine revelation lacks
this understanding. There is no price
any man who is honest in heart would-
n't pay for knowledge of these things if
he were but sure he could search and
find it. He would brave the wildest
storm, climb the highest mountain, ford
the most raging torrent. There would
be no peril, even at the cost of life that
would not be faced gladly.

We are the possessors of this "pearl
of great price." We must be eternally
vigilant to retain it, and the surest way
of retaining it is to live by it and teach it

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

CONDUCTED BY THE GENERAL PRIESTHOOD COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE
TWELVE — JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH, CHAIRMAN; CHARLES A. CALLIS, HAROLD B.
LEE, SPENCER W. KIMBALL, EZRA TAFT BENSON, MARION G. ROMNEY, THOMAS E. MC-
KAY, CLIFFORD E. YOUNG, ALMA SONNE, LEVI EDGAR YOUNG, ANTOINE R. IVINS

NO-LIQUOR-TOBACCO
COLUMN

Conducted by
Dr. Joseph F. Merrill

L^onhdentia I
^rrmual IKeports

'"Phe reports from all the quorums
should by this time have been com-
pleted, and the stake reports made
ready for transmittal to the general
priesthood committee's office. Stakes
not having completed their reports
should make every effort to complete
them at once. Reports received too
late lose much of their value to the
general office.

The reports will reveal the strengths
and weaknesses of the various quo-
rums. It is urged, therefore, that they
receive consideration in the various de-
partments of the next priesthood leader-
ship meeting. It is urged that individual
quorum reports be given early consid-
eration in each quorum presidencies'
council meeting. These reports will
prove valuable to the quorums only
insofar as plans are laid and made op-
erative to correct any condition that is
not wholesome in the quorum. Ap-
proach to the respective problems may
vary from place to place, and there
may be varied degrees of effectiveness
according to the approach. However,
presidents of quorums who meet fre-

quently and under the inspiration of the
Spirit of the Lord and who plan in the
interests of their quorums, are on the
way toward more effective quorum su-
pervision.

The quorum presidency is remiss in
its duty which is not striving constantly
to serve the best interests of its quorum,
and to improve the effectiveness of its
presidency.

The responsibility of presidency is
indeed great. The responsibility of
membership in a priesthood quorum is
great. In this the new year, it would be
most fitting for each member, and each
quorum president, to resolve that "each
tomorrow" will find him "farther than
today."

And beside this, giving all diligence, add
to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowl-
edge; and to knowledge temperance; and to
temperance patience; and to patience godli-
ness; and to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity. For if
these things be in you, and abound, they
make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord lesus
Christ. But he that lacketh these things is
blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath for-
gotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give dili-
gence to make your calling and election
sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
never fall. (II Peter 1:5-10.)

to others. None need suppose that he
can do too much for the building up of
the kingdom of God in the earth. This
great work requires consecration and
dedication. Sad will be the man who
neglects his solemn duty, while great
shall be the joy of those who devote
their talents and energy to the bringing
of souls unto Christ; who bear faithful
witness of him in the earth.

The priesthood bearer has special
obligations in this most important work.
The priesthood must give leadership
thereto. The priesthood is the power
through which the Lord will accomplish
his purposes in the earth. The slothful
and negligent servant will forfeit his
blessings and lose the promise. The
faithful servant will "enter into the joy"
of his Lord. The Savior said:

I must work the works of him that sent
me, while it is day: the night cometh, when
no man can work.

This is a good resolve to every brother
in every priesthood quorum.

JANUARY 1947

. . . work the works of him that sent you,
while it is day. (John 9:4.)

Where would I be, without these
things?

cLadt Ujear and ^Jk

HPhe year 1946 is now history. It has
been an eventful year. It has been
a year of great achievement for many
quorums of priesthood within the
Church. If there are any who have
neglected opportunities, this is an ap-
propriate time to resolve that mistakes
of the past will not be those of the fu-
ture.

The Lord would have us look ahead.
He expects that there be a constant
effort toward the ideal. This requires
that each priesthood quorum make in
this year a little greater effort than ever
toward the perfecting of the lives of its
members; toward an increased service;
toward a more united quorum; toward
all righteous endeavor.

Idaho Initiatives Fail

HPhe Idaho Civic Forces sponsored
three initiatives which were placed
on the November ballot, but they went
down to defeat in the election. We are
sorry for this and greatly sympathize
with those who worked untiringly for
the success of these measures. One of
them would have given "local option"
to the counties in Idaho; another would
have repealed the law permitting the
slot machine and gambling; the third
would have tightened up current laws
relative to the liquor traffic, and pro-
hibited local advertising of intoxicating
alcoholic beverages.

All these measures were vigorously
opposed by the liquor interests. Bill-
boards, newspaper ads, leaflets, the
press, the radio, and other means of
publicity were lavishly used, including
the efforts of a large number of paid
canvassers and workers. So many half-
truths and falsehoods were widely pub-
licized that many electors became con-
fused and therefore did not vote at all
on the proposed laws. The measures
were defeated not by a majority of all
who voted in the election but by a
majority who voted on the proposed
measures.

The results teach a lesson — the need
for more education of the public, the
longer time of preparation for an elec-
tion, and more complete organization
of proponents. Undoubtedly the great
majority of the voters in Idaho desire
good government, good laws, law en-
forcement, and the elimination — at least
strict control — of demoralizing agen-
cies. Yes, education and hard work by
right-minded citizens will yet win in
Idaho. Let none of them be discour-
aged.

International Luther League
Speaks Out

The following statement issued by
the board of directors of the Interna-
tional Luther League was printed as a
paid advertisement in the Minneapolis,
Minnesota, Sunday Tribune of May
19, 1946, by order of the board:

Our young people are being made the
target of insidious liquor advertising. They
are being subjected to pressure from all
sides to look upon drinking as an innocent
habit. Even teen-age boys and girls are
becoming victims of alcohol. The result is
an increasing spiritual breakdown and an
inevitable moral collapse, indicated already
in the widespread prevalence of juvenile
deliquency.

In the face of these conditions . . . the

(Concluded on page 46)

« RHRDNIG PRIE1THDDD

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC. EDITED BY LEE A. PALMER.

WARD YOUTH LEADERSHIP
OUTLINE OF STUDY

FEBRUARY 1947

Note: This course of study is pre-
pared under the direction of the Pre-
siding Bishopric for presentation dur-
ing the monthly meeting of the ward
youth leadership to ■ be conducted by
the bishopric in each ward. Members
of the ward Aaronic Priesthood com-
mittee and of the ward committee for
Latter-day Saint girls are expected to
attend this meeting.

/~\ur problem: How can we make
attendance at sacrament meeting
more attractive to boys and girls?

The responsibility for what takes
place in sacrament meeting rests square-
ly on the shoulders of the bishop.
Though the responsibility is his, it is
one all members of the ward should
share. For this reason we discuss it
here. Perhaps we can find ways to
lend tangible support and encourage-
ment to the bishop. We may be able to
suggest how youth may find increased
interest in this sacred service.

The interest of our boys and girls in
sacrament meeting will depend, we be-
lieve, on two things : ( 1 ) the degree to
which sacrament meetings fulfil their
purpose, and (2) the extent to which
youth is used to help realize this pur-
pose.

The Purpose of Sacrament
Meeting

The Lord commanded us (see D. &
C. 59:9-12) to "go to the house of
prayer and offer up thy sacraments
upon my holy day." Central to the
sacrament meeting is the privilege of
partaking of the sacrament. This we
do for two reasons : ( 1 ) to remember
the life, teachings, spirit, and also the

suffering, sacrificial love, and death of
our Savior, and (2) to renew the bap-
tismal pledge to be his true disciples
"at all times and in all things, and in all
places." (Compare Mosiah 18:8-10
with Moroni 4:3.) The primary pur-
pose of the sacrament meeting then, is
to worship by remembering and by re-
newing our faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.

Two other intimately related pur-
poses should be kept in mind. People
come to sacrament meeting to be built
up in the faith — to receive hope, com-
fort, encouragement, and inspiration —
and also to gain a greater understand-
ing of the principles of the gospel. Each
sacrament meeting should be planned
and conducted to create the spirit of
worship, to build faith, and to increase
our appreciation of the gospel. A poor
or mediocre meeting is one which fails
to realize these purposes; a good sac-
rament meeting is one which fulfils
them.

Boys and girls are naturally quite
idealistic, full of faith, and eager to
learn. They can be responsive to the
true purposes of a sacrament meeting.
This has been demonstrated.

Some things mar the spirit of wor-
ship. Often the worst offender is a
long series of announcements which
neither promote worship, build faith,
nor teach the gospel. Let us put them
on a bulletin board, on a printed page,
or take them to the homes of people.
Except in emergencies, they have no
place in a sacrament meeting. Tardi-
ness, lack of attention to details, talk-
ing on the stand or in the body of the
hall by adults, unnecessary disturbances
incident to moving windows during the
services, an untidy or unclean meeting-
house, poor ventilation, and ill-chosen

music further inhibit the spirit of wor-
ship.

The purposes of the sacrament
meeting are enhanced most by quiet,
dignified, reverent, orderly, and punctu-
al administration, careful selection of
music, adequate attention to little
things, tactful suggestions to those who
shall speak, and by a simple, sacred,
and beautiful administration and pass-
ing of the sacrament.

The purposes of the sacrament meet-
ing are taught best by simply revealing
them in the fine quality of the service.
Other things can be done too, however,
which will help boys and girls appre-
ciate the meaning of the sacrament.

We can also teach them the meaning
and purpose of the sacrament in places
other than in the sacrament meeting.
Each leader of youth should have a
good understanding of the subject him-
self. Then all of us, under the direc-
tion of the bishop, might well ask our-
selves: where are we teaching the
meaning of the sacrament to our young
people? Do we just talk to the boys
about their specific duties or do we
relate their duties to the overall pur-
pose of the sacrament?

Let us not overdo it but as a group
examine ourselves in this respect and
decide just when, where, and who shall
teach the fuller meaning of the sacra-
ment to all age groups in the ward.
Priesthood quorums, Sunday School,
and Mutual Improvement Association
classes, and personal counseling afford
us opportunities. Check your courses
of study. Is everyone receiving a fine
lesson on the meaning of the sacrament?

(Next month we shall suggest several

specific ways in which boys and girls

can feel a greater interest in sacrament

{Concluded on page 52)

SHELLEY STAKE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD AND GIRLS' CHORUS

Combined Youth Chorus, representing all wards in the Shelley Stake, furnished the music for their recent quarterly conference. Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin of

the Presiding Bishopric attended the conference and gave an enthusiastic account of the performance. Members of the Aaronic Priesthood and the Latter-day Saint

girl groups practised in their respective wards for several weeks, then came together for three all-stake rehearsals in preparation for the conference. The chorus was

under the direction of Lynn Barker. Over two hundred young men and young women participated. —Photograph by L. W. Bacon

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC. EDITED BY HENRY G. TEMPEST.

PRESENT WARD TEACHING

FORMS TO BE USED

UNTIL JULY 1947

Tn the past, the Presiding Bish-
op's office has supplied the
wards with new ward teachers'
report forms at the beginning of
each calendar year. However, the
year 1947 will be an exception.
The press delivered the 1946 sup-
plies so late that to avoid waste
it is thought advisable to use the
present forms until July 1947. At
that time new forms will be avail-
able to cover the period from July
1947, to December 1948. There-
after, the forms will be prepared
to cover the usual twelve month
period, beginning January of each
year.

CHART OF ORGANIZATION OF

WARD COMMITTEE ON WARD TEACHING

Ujowth S^peakc

ppeal

WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT THE
WARD TEACHERS' VISIT

(Excerpts from a talk given by
Denzle Williams, a deacon. Name
o/ ward and stake were omitted
when submitted to the Presiding
Bishop's office. )

DENZLE WILLIAMS

f like our ward teacher because he is
dependable. We are sure that some-
time during the month he will visit our
home with the ward teachers' message.
If it happens we are not at home we are
sure he will return at a later date to
give us the message he has for us, which
makes us children feel the importance
of the ward teacher's visit.

JANUARY 1947

BISHOP

Chairman of

Ward Committee

FIRST
COUNSELOR

SECOND
COUNSELOR

DISTRICT
SUPERVISOR

ASSISTANT
WARD CLERK

HPhe ward committee on ward teach-
ing, as indicated in the above chart,
is composed of the following members :
The bishop, who is the chairman; his
two counselors; three district super-
visors; and the secretary (assistant
ward clerk).

The bishop, as presiding authority
and the one responsible for the spiritual
and temporal welfare of his members,
is the chairman. He cannot delegate
this authority to others. His counselors
should, however, share this responsibil-
ity with him; and, as presiding officers in
the ward, they will work together in
the promotion of the ward teaching
program.

The ward should be divided geo-
graphically into three districts, with
each area having, if possible, an equal
number of families. One member of the
bishopric should be assigned to each of
the three districts, and he will be direct-
ly responsible for ward teaching in his
respective district.

To aid in the discharge of this re-
sponsibility, three district supervisors
should be appointed, with one super-
visor to assist each member of the

bishopric. The district supervisor
should endeavor to relieve the bishop-
ric of as much of the detail work as is
possible, following through on personal
contacts, assignments, and check-ups.

The appointment of a secretary (as-
sistant ward clerk) completes the or-
ganization of the ward committee. The
secretary is responsible for the com-
piling of the ward report on a monthly
basis, and to aid the bishopric, the quo-
rums, the ward clerk, and the ward
teachers, with transfers, new arrivals,
and any other information that will be
of assistance in coordinating the work.

It is the primary responsibility of the
ward committee to see that each district
is thoroughly organized with a member
of the bishopric at the head, a district
supervisor and a sufficient corps of
ward teachers that will only require
each pair of teachers to visit a reason-
able number of homes monthly.

It is the duty of the bishopric to se-
lect the best qualified members of the
Melchizedek Priesthood to serve as
ward teachers. All worthy teachers and
priests of the Aaronic Priesthood
should be called to assist these brethren
in ward teaching.

I like his attitude and friendly way
when he enters the home. He always
shakes hands with each member of the
family from the eldest to the youngest
and makes each one of us feel that the
message is for us. He brings with him
a young man from the teachers' or

priests' quorum and he takes his turn
in giving the lesson.

I especially like some of the lessons,
such as tithing. After hearing that mes-
sage I was impressed with the impor-
tance of paying a full tithing. I have

(Concluded on page 50)
45

^BEHEBLDBlUs^

Alpha Loader Jaques
of Sugar City, Idaho

Alpha Loader Jacques, handcart
emigrant, pioneer, business and
civic leader, was born in a tent on
the plains at Cutler's Park a few
miles west of Florence, Nebraska,
August 27, 1856. Alpha's parents, John
and Zilpah Jaques, emigrated from
England in 1856 with their daughter,
Flora. In their company were five sis-
ters and a brother of Mrs. Jaques, to-
gether with her parents, James and
Amy Loader. (See The Improvement
Eva, December 1946, p. 790.)

ALPHA L. JAQUES

Becoming a part of Martin's hand-
cart company, the Jaques family suf-
fered untold hardships with their fellow
emigrants. Grandfather Loader was
buried at Ash Hollow. Flora Jaques
died en route to Salt Lake valley, but
her body was carried to the end of the
journey for burial. Arriving in Salt

Lake City, little hope was held for
baby Jaques, but after Elder Franklin
D. Richards administered to him, he
immediately began to mend. Some years
later he played baseball in the same
group with President Heber J. Grant.

In 1876 Alpha Jacques was married
to Amy Ricks in the Endowment House
by Elder Joseph F. Smith of the Coun-
cil of the Twelve. In 1885, in company
with Seymour Hinckley, Brother Jaques
drove a team from Cache valley to Rex-
burg, Idaho, his wife following on the
train to Market Lake (Roberts) soon
after. Making their home in Rexburg
for eighteen months, they then moved
to the new Salem community about five
miles north, where five of their children
contracted the deadly diphtheria of that
day. Receiving valuable aid from "Dr."
Nick Wilson of Shoshone Indian fame,
they saved all but one of their children.

Alpha Jaques hauled logs from
Warm River, some thirty miles distant,
with which to build the first church in
the community. He was a school
trustee for seven years and president of
the Salem Irrigation Company for
forty years. Until 1941, he raised sugar
beets on his small farm, doing much of
the thinning and harvesting of the beets
himself.

Until his death at eighty-nine he had
one of the best gardens in Sugar City
each summer. Alpha was the second
child of John Jaques, author of the
words of the song, "O Say, What Is
Truth?" and for eleven years assistant
Church Historian. (As dictated to and
at the request of Leon M. Strong. )

NO-LIQUOR-TOBACCO COLUMN

( Concluded from page 43 )
board of directors of the International
Young People's Luther League adopts the
following :

1. We vigorously oppose the legalized
liquor traffic which is sweeping an
ever greater number of American
youth into a stream of drunkenness,
immorality, and crime.

2. We vigorously protest the treacher-
ous and misleading liquor advertising
which is directed primarily at the youth
of America, presenting the use of liquor
as desirable and unharmful.

3. We call upon the Christian youth of
our land to take a firm stand, out of
faith in Christ and love for his right-
eousness, against the liquor traffic and
the rising tide of intemperance.

4. We extend the support of the young
people we represent to the law enforc-
ing agencies of our various communi-
ties to combat and correct the existing
conditions.

5. We urge the support of our Christian
young people of the many temperance
organizations which are at work in our
communities to conquer this liquor
menace and to foster law enforcement
and sobriety.

"The Voice" Comments:

No nation has ever been able to drink
itself prosperous.

There is one way and only one way to
"control" the liquor traffic and that is by
police action backed up by the power of
public opinion.

Legislatures cannot "legislate" morality.
They cannot legislate health. They can pass
laws intended to reduce the prevalence of
disease.

It is a probability that during the year
1947, someone you know and love will be
killed, seriously injured, or have his or her
life placed in extreme jeopardy by the ir-
responsibility of a had-been-drinking driver.
The man who will sell him the liquor is no

doubt already licensed to do business in
partnership with your government.

Why Spoil a Good Movie?

We frequently receive letters suggesting
that we should recommend motion pictures
which we find free from objectionable fea-
tures. We have not undertaken to do this
because there are so few motion pictures
offered to the public which are not marred
by harmful suggestion. It is a great pity
that this is true.

Drunken Driving on Increase

The Deseret News recently printed a
press dispatch from Chicago as follows :

Drunken driving remains a leading factor
in the new higher cost of automobile pub-
lic liability and property damage insurance.

A nationwide survey by the American
Business Men's Research Foundation among
companies writing this form of insurance
brings out that there is no question but that
the postwar period has brought a tremen
dous increase in driving after drinking.

Ups Insurance Rates

The increase in drunken driving and the
added cost of repairs, together with higher
demands for injuries, have all combined to
force automobile insurance companies to
increase their rates.

Experience of insurance companies with
the increase in drunken driving is in agree-
ment with findings of the National Safety
Council, which recently states that drunken
driving accidents are at the highest fre-
quency in history, the Foundation said, in
releasing the survey facts.

Young Drivers

Much of the increase, company execu-
tives said in response to questioning, is
found among younger drivers. A large share
of this is attributed to readjustment and
aftermath of the war.

Citing comments of insurance executives,
the Foundation noted that drunken driving
is one of the major factors in increasing
the severity of claims. . . . There has been a
decided increase in drunken driving, not
only in the older generation but also in the
younger people as well, particularly the re-
turning G.I., and, in many cases, drunken
driving has been an important factor.

These executives cite the experience that
claims arising from drunken driving cost the
companies from two to three and four times
the normal rate. Courts and juries, they
cite, are becoming increasingly severe
where drunken driving is concerned.

Much of the increased insurance cost can
be eliminated, they said in comments to the
Foundation, when public and police apathy
toward drunken drivers is abolished.

Should not laws be made in every
state prohibiting a drinking or drunken
driver to be at the control wheel of any
motorcar on the public highways? Al-
cohol in the blood of a motorcar driver
can easily and quickly be ascertained.
Thousands of lives are sacrificed an-
nually in this country because alcohol
lessened the efficiency of drivers at mo-
torcar controls. Should not a general
move be made to lessen or eliminate
this needless sacrifice?

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Brigham Young
Concerning the Holy Ghost

{Concluded irom page 5)
them. But the case is quite different
with those whose minds are not opened
and instructed by the power of God.
Sermonizing, dividing, and subdividing
subjects, and building up a fine super-
structure, a fanciful and aerial build-
ing, calculated to fascinate the mind,
coupled with the choicest eloquence of
the world, will produce no good to
them. The sentiments of my mind, and
the manner of my life, are to obtain
knowledge by the power of the Holy
Ghost. _Brigham Young, Journal of
Discourses, 1:89, 90.

New Year Celebrations
in Pioneer Times

(Concluded from page 19)

followed the musicians as they ser-
enaded at the homes of the First
Presidency. At President Young's
home "the governor saluted the two
bands with a 'Happy New Year,'
and received in exchange some ex-
cellent music."

In the afternoon of that historic
day, the Social Hall was dedicated,
and what a time of celebration it was
— speeches, songs, drama, and danc-
ing.

For years the pioneers celebrated
the dawn of the new year much as
they did in 1 853. Often the brethren
engaged in shooting matches, the
losers paying for a banquet.

In 1855 during the New Year's
Day celebration in Social Hall, one
of the United States officials of the
Territory of Utah was invited to
take part on the program. His speech
included these significant words:

I can scarcely realize that we are here,
ten or fifteen hundred miles from civiliza-
tion; and yet we are in the very midst of it,
not only civilization but the most perfect
refinement. I am reminded of the words of
Daniel Webster at a celebration of the
landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. "The same
heaven is over our heads," he said, "the
same earth under our feet, but all else — how
changed." The same remarks may be ap-
propriately applied to this territory. When
we consider that only seven years have
passed since this people landed here with
scarcely sufficient food to support them
until they could raise a crop, and behold
now the splendor, the magnificence and the
taste that has been displayed on this occa-
sion, we may wonder and be astonished,
and yet my soul ascribes it to the Provi-
dence of that Good Being who controls all
things for his glory and the well-being of
his creatures.

JANUARY 1947

The new year was a time of cere prayer that the coming year
thanksgiving, rejoicing, and merry- might be a little less severe and rig-
making in the settlements the pio- orous than the year that had just
neers established. It was their sin- passed away.

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LOS ANGELES

''TWO PERSONS - ONE CHARGE"

THE "VALLEY FORGE"

:■:■:■:-:; ;;::-:--V:::':':' :;.■:■':■ : '■:':::

':!M&'X:'m±~:&.'7S

In Winter Quarters on the Pio-
neer Trail the sufferings of a
stricken and homeless people
were almost beyond endurance.
Winter Quarters has been called by
one man the "Valley Forge" of Mor-
mondom. Day after day the burial
wagons drove out to the pitiful cem-
etery with the broken and emaciated
remains of Saints whose strength
had not been equal to the task im-
posed upon them. The usual diet of
those driven souls was corn bread,
salt bacon, and a little milk. Scurvy,
resulting from the lack of vegetables
and fresh meat, was making such in-
cursions into the ranks of the pio-
neers that it was feared before long
that all might be sleeping on the hill.
It was heartbreaking. Daily there
came among them some who had been
left behind because of the disregard-
ed promise of their enemies that they
would not be molested until they
were stronger. They at least had the
privilege of dying among their
friends. Their coming added im-
measurably to the burden and to the
severity of the disease.

One day President Brigham
Young went to the crude cabin oc-
cupied by the family of Lorenzo
Young. "Lorenzo," he said, "if you
will hitch up your horses and go
down into Missouri, the Lord will
open the way so that you can bring
us some hogs and give this people
fresh meat." It would have been dif-
ficult to imagine anything less likely
than that the Missourians would
take part in any transaction that
would benefit the Latter-day Saints.

Nevertheless, Lorenzo Young
went. ( People didn't ask questions
or do what they thought best in those
48

days when they were given assign-
ments.) Brother Young had only
three horses. These he hitched to his
wagon and set out. The first night
he stayed with a wealthy man. A
fine horse caught his eye, and he
asked his host how much he wanted
for him.

"That's Messenger," the man re-
plied, "and he's one of the best ani-
mals I have. I'll take one dollar for
each mile I've driven him today."
He had that day driven Messenger
thirty-five miles, and Lorenzo Young
gave him thirty-five dollars for the
animal.

\T17hen Brother Young got to St.
Joseph, he found a condition
that he had not thought to find any
place in Missouri. Whereas he had
expected to encounter bitterness and
anger, he found friendliness and
some show of hospitality. How had
this come about?

Some little time before, a family of
Saints had left Winter Quarters and
gone to St. Joseph. One of the girls
of the family had obtained employ-
ment in a tavern and had spread
word of the sufferings of the pio-
neers. Her stories had touched the
hearts of the people of the commu-
nity. Some of them even offered to
give merchandise to the people on
the plains. Brother Young, however,
soon gave them to understand that
he wasn't after charity. His was a
business trip.

The first thing he did was to bor-
row a thousand dollars from a Jew,
and what do you think he did with
the thousand dollars? He went out
and bought forty acres of unhar-
vested corn. He paid four dollars

oirmonaom

A True Short Short Story
By J. N. WASHBURN

an acre for it and estimated that he
would get sixty bushels to the acre.
He gathered the corn and put it into
bins. Then he advertised for pigs.

He got his pigs. It requires a live-
ly imagination to picture what hap-
pened after that. In these days of
near meat famine we can at least
enjoy the telling of the story.

Tn that country there are hundreds

of miles of oaks, and the pigs feed
well upon the acorns with little
trouble and no expense for anyone.
When Lorenzo Young asked for
hogs, the farmers began to round
them up.

They came singly, in twos, in
herds. Before very long Brother
Young had all the hogs he wanted,
a thousand head. They weighed
from one hundred fifty to four hun-
dred pounds. What do you think he
paid for them? The astounding price
of seventy-five cents a head!

Thus the Saints got their fresh
food and were enabled to continue
their journey with some assurance of
health. Did the Lord provide any
more miraculously for Hagar in the
desert or for the children of Israel
in the wilderness or for the widow to
whom he sent the Prophet Elijah?

There we have our formula: a
people in need, humbled, broken in
spirit, and chastened to the dust; a
great cause, worthy of the notice of
God; human longing and effort — ef-
fort that knows no place to stop;
sacrifice, and often suffering; dark
clouds all about that threaten to
overwhelm; the prayers of faith.

We have most of these ingredients
now. We can enjoy the help of
heaven today in our extremity if we
will but put forth the effort that is
within our power. Let us emulate the
faith of our fathers at Valley Forge
and Winter Quarters; let us give as
they gave, work as they worked,
hope as they hoped. We may then
safely trust to the future, that liberty
will once more come.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

On The Bookrack

(Continued from page 40)
SYNOPSIS LIFE HISTORY OF JENS
CHRISTENSEN WESTERGAARD
(J. C. Westergaard. Published by the
author. 1961 S. E. 26th Avenue, Port-
land 15, Oregon. 155 pages.)
IN the ripeness of his years, (he was
eighty-eight years of age March 4, 1946) ,
Brother Westergaard relates in this book
the story of his life and of the life of his
wife Petrine. In a true Latter-day Saint spir-
it, he tells of his early life in Denmark, his
conversion to the Church, the new life and
many struggles as an emigrant in America,
his later missionary experiences, the begin-
nings of the gospel work in Portland, Ore-
gon, largely due to his active faith, and
other intimate details of his many years.
He does not forget to enumerate the bless-
ings that have come to him. It is a plain,
unvarnished tale well told which reveals
to the thoughtful reader the strength of
"Mormonism." On his eighty-eighth birth-
day, he wrote, "The closer comes the
journey's end, the more highly we esteem
character and the less we grapple for
riches. The nearer draws the parting day,
the more deeply we cherish the peace of an
untroubled conscience and the less we value
the superficial approval of man." That is
a good message to all, young or old.

— /. A. W,
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
JOHN CUTHERS (1876-1946)
(160 pages. Cloth $1.50, paper $1.00.)

AT about twenty-six years of age the
author left his native England, where
he was born of "Mormon" parents, for Utah
and later for California. The book tells the
simple story of devotion and service familiar
to all faithful Latter-day Saints. After a
brief biographical sketch, he gives the story
of Arnold, Nottingham, his native village:
then he prints a number of letters written
to him in the course of his Church work;
followed by a collection of his essays, ser-
mons, talks, debates, and poems.

The volume is really Brother Cuthers'
Book of Remembrance. Clearly, he has
lived a wholesome, useful life. — /. A. W.

THE COUNTRY YEAR
(Mark Van Doren. William Sloane
Associates, New York. 1946.
136 pages. $2.75.)

USING the seasons as a framework for his
poems, the publishers have begun with
Mr. Van Doren's spring poems and have
concluded with his longest poem, "A Winter
Diary," which is particularly stimulating.
One section will appeal to Latter-day Saints
especially a selection from which follows:

. . . So, in December, we ourselves stand

ready.
The season we have dared is strong and

heady,
But there is man a weapon we can trust.
Five cellar shelves that were but layered

dust
Are wiped to kitchen neatness, and confine
Clear jellies that will soothe us when we

dine:
Crab-apple, quince, and hardly ripened

grape,
With jam from every berry, and the shape
Of cherries showing pressed against the jar;
Whole pears; and where the tall half-gallons

are,
Tomatoes with their golden seeds; and blunt
Cucumbers that the early ground-worms

hunt.

Certainly, those who love the land will be
delighted with this book; and those who
don't will find that they have been missing
something and will hasten to change their
minds. — M. C. J. (Concluded on page 50)

JANUARY 1947

New Books For The New Year

In his book, TO WHOM
IT MAY CONCERN,
Marvin O. Ashton still
"gets his arm around
folks," guiding them in-
to the right path . . .
showing where life's
better values lie.

"Bigotry and intolerance
have made more scorched
earth than all the fires in
history."

"We are all God's people
or we wouldn't be here."

"Stories are to a lesson
what raisins are to a
cookie."

Everyone who dips into
this book, even for a
page or two, will have
a wiser, more whole-
some outlook on life.

Illustrated S3, 00

* * '"■'■*

NAUVOO, THE BEAUTIFUL

By E. Cecil McGavin

The complete story of Nauvoo, from
swamp land to largest city in Illinois
— and on to the present. Every reader
of L. D. S. Church or American history
will find it interesting and worth
while. Illustrated. $3.00.

*■ .* >f

THE GOLDEN PLATES

By Florence Pierce

This is a beautiful book — a worthy
addition to Utah's Centennial litera-
ture. The cover is a rich golden color.
Subject matter: The Book of Mormon
story, with emphasis on the various
plates connected with it. Illustrated.
$2.00.

* * *

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

By Timberline Riggs

In his direct, simple, refreshing style,
the author considers the Ten Com-
mandments, showing how each is
necessary in the foundation of suc-
cessful living. Pocket-sized ... an
excellent gift item. $1.00.

x- x- *

These — and many other books — are
ready lor you at Bookcraft. Check and
mail coupon for complete list.

BOOKCRAFT

1186 South Main, Salt Lake City 4

* * *

UTAH, THE STORY OF HER
PEOPLE

By Dr. Milton R. Hunter

Packed with authentic stories, this
new account of Utah — from the fur-
trapper period to the Centennial —
deserves an important place in every
home. Illustrated. $2.75.

* * >f

Order Your

Melchizedek Priesthood Text
from

BDDKCRAFT

Text for 1947:

DOCUMENTARY HISTORY

OF THE CHURCH. Vol. 1 ....$1.50

Supplemental Outline .25

By Elder Joseph Fielding Smith

Total $1.75

(See order form below.)

BOOKCRAFT

1186 South Main, Salt Lake City 4. Utah

Please send the books checked below:

□ To Whom It May Concern 53.00

□ Documentary History of the Church,
Vol. 1 and Outline 51.75

□ Nauvoo, the Beautiful $3.00

□ The Golden Plates 52.00

□ The Ten Commandments _ 51.00

□ Utah, the Story of Her People $2.75

□ The Temple of Promise $1.50

□ Payment enclosed. □ C.O.D.

□ Check here if you would like a complete
list of Bookcraft books.

Name \

Address

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ON THE BOOKRACK

oudanad

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Build A Brighter New Year
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

12 Issues $2.00

(Concluded from page 49)

THE GOLDEN PLATES

(Florence Pierce. Salt Lake City, Utah,

1946. 195 pages. $2.00.)

HPhe cover of this book, made to simulate
■*■ the golden plates about which the book
is written, is most attractive and should
draw people to it. The inside of the book
is replete with cuts which greatly enhance
the text. The book will make a very good
volume to add to one's own library and to
give to others who are interested in the
Book of Mormon.

The book will make an especially ap-
pealing gift book. — M. C. J.

STORIES FOR TALKS TO BOYS
(F. H. Cheney. Association Press, New
York. 1946. 356 pages.)
f I 'his reprint of stories is well worth in-

f" vestigating by teachers and parents of
boys and girls, for they are pointed and
valuable in teaching much-needed lessons.
Latter-day Saints will be particularly hap-
py at the inclusion of some stories which
indicate that tobacco is not good for young
people. This collection will be particularly
helpful in indirect character building, since
the moral is inherent in the story and not
pointedly tacked on. — M. C. /.

MY TALE IS TWISTED

(Colonel Stoopnagle. M.S. Mill Co.,

New York. 1946. 145 pages. $2.00.)

Crazily delightful, this book will afford
many pleasant home minutes with the
family trying to outdistance each other try-
ing to talk 'Stoopnagle." While we can-
not recommend it for too long a period or
for anything approximating steady diet,
still it's good for a change, or as Stoop-
nagle might say it, "ill stit gis ood chor a
fange." The book should afford complete
relaxation and plenty of family fun for
those times when everyone feels like letting
down. — M, C. J.

HAYDN— A GOOD LIFE

(David Ewen. Henry Holt and Company,

New York. 1946. 245 pages. $2.75.)

A knowledge of the lives of our great
artists gives us a keener appreciation
of their contribution to the world. This

biography of Franz Joseph Haydn by a ca-
pable writer on music gives us this apprecia-
tion. The author deals lucidly with those
factors that shaped the destiny of the lad
and turned him from the vocation of priest
which his parents wished him to become to
that of composer.

There is much to be gleaned from the
book for those who as parents or leaders
work with youth. And there is likewise
much for youth to gain in the way of deter-
mination, endurance — and disregard for
poverty. — M. C. J.

A RIVER NEVER SLEEPS
(Roderick L. Haig-Brown. William Mor-
row and Co., New York. 1946.
352 pages. $4.00.)

Men will dote on this book, dealing as it
does with year-round fishing — and
women will obtain an insight into the fas-
cination that lies in fishing. But the book
is more than that, it is the keenest kind of
nature study, introducing the reader to the
voice of nature as she speaks through her
various media: the river itself, the wind,
the mountains, the lakes — and man.

For those who live in crowded city
streets, this book cannot be recommended
too highly since it will give the reader a
sense of calm and measured leisureliness
that all need today. — M. C. J.

NO WOMAN'S WORLD
(Iris Carpenter. Houghton Mifflin Com-
pany, Boston. 1946. 338 pages. $3.00.
rTTHis realistic account of "war in the
■*■ rough" was written by a woman who
experienced that war and saw it at its best
and its worst. The title might well be ex-
panded to "No One's World," for surely nc
one should be called upon to pass through
most of the experiences recorded so graph-
ically in this book. The book deserves to
be read, if only to make all of its readers
determine that war must go from the earth —
and set about to find a sure way of abolish-
ing it. If war is to be abandoned as a way
of settling grievances, women must take
a big part in making the plans for outlawing
it — and so No Woman's World, this re-
viewer hopes, will forecast womankind's
dedication to the cause of peace. — M. C. J.

WARD TEACHING

(Concluded from page 45)
tried to pay an honest tithing since he
told me of the blessings that come from
paying a full tithing.

Another message that impressed me
was on reverence. Reverence is the key
to sincere worship. Without it, wor-
ship is but a pretense. It has taught me
to be more reverent when I am in the
house of the Lord. I am sure that all
boys that heard the message on rever-
ence are better boys in Church.

My ward teacher is always well-
dressed, which indicates that he be-
lieves he should be clean and neat and
well-dressed while doing the Lord's
work. I hope that when I become a
teacher, and am asked to go ward
teaching, that I will be able to go with
a man just like him.

When he comes, we try to show re-

spect and set aside anything that we
might be doing, and he in turn shows
his respect by making the lesson short
if any of the family has appointments
to keep.

I feel that if I have any problems 1
could go to him, and he would give me
good advice, and he wouldn't tell anyone
else! Because our ward teacher comes
every month, we have become very
close friends, and we look forward to
his visits. I have heard some boys say
that they didn't like the ward teachers
because they stayed too long and talked
about everything but the lesson. But this
isn't so with our ward teacher. After
the family is seated, he gives his lesson,
then we have an opportunity to ask any
questions we want to. Then he tells
each one of us good night, shakes our
hand, and leaves.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Scouts of the World

(Concluded from page 21 )
cheerful smile. The Scout oath and
law, with slight verbal variations in
different countries, are known the
world around. Scouting has been or-
ganized in practically every civilized
country in the world.

Scouting has been adjudged a
potential factor in the promotion of
world peace. At a recent gathering
of Scout leaders, one of our national
Scouters stated that the final chap-
ters of peace will be written around
scouting principles of the Scout oath,
Scout law, and world brotherhood.
The total active world membership
is now over three million. More than
seventy-three different nationalities
have adopted the Scout program for
their youth. There have been Scout
troops in Alaska and in India, in
China, and in Czechoslovakia — all
carrying on the same basic program
— all striving toward and dedicated
to the same general ideals of useful
living and friendliness.

Scouting has come to be an ac-
cepted program for any and all of
the various religious, racial, and
class groups of the boyhood of
America and the world. The idea of
"Scout Brotherhood" has swept
around the world.

Scouting has promoted interna-
tional good will and friendship, by
emphasizing those points which na-
tions have in common, not their dif-
ferences.

HOME
By Miranda Snow Walton

Oerhaps there is no beauty in the land

■*■ from which you came;

Perhaps it's just a barren place, but you

love it, just the same;
Perhaps the house is not so much; it may be

just a shack,
But it is home, and all you want is the joy

of going back.
For home is not a land, nor place; home's

not a house you own;
A house can be a prison to a man who is

alone!
But home is where two hearts have loved, —

love cherished through the years;
Home is where a dear caress has healed

your pain and tears.
Home is where a dream is born, where an-
other's faith in you,
Like a blessed benediction, gives you cour-
age, holds you true.
Home is something you are bound to by

affection's golden chain,
And no evil dims its luster; time nor distance

cannot stain.
When the years are long and lonely, and

the heart too old to roam.
Grant, dear God, that in some heaven, each

man finds his way back home.

JANUARY 1947

Guatamalan Petroglyphs
Book of Mormon

AND THE

including many Indian Legends that confirm the

Book of Mormon

By James W. LeSueur

(Author of "Indian Legends")
Mesa, Arizona

Published
By Dec. 15th

$1.25

delivered

For Sale by the author and

DESERET BOOK STORE
Salt Lake City

Royal Baking Company
Salt Lake & Ogden

HAVE

'THE VOICE OF THE

CHURCH"

IN YOUR HOME

THE

IMPROVEMENT

ERA

Issues $2.00

( Continued from page 27 )
"Wake up, Lena, I want you to
make the mush and feed the boys. I
am going to borrow a team."

Rosamay knew instantly where
Ma was going. "I want to go, too."
Then as her mother hesitated,
"Please, please, let me go."

After a moment Ma said, "Get
ready then. I'll see if Sister Dunn
will let the boys and Lena stay with
her."

Rosamay had never moved so fast
in her life. She was washed and
dressed in two shakes of a lamb's
tail. She didn't look at Lena, but
when Rile Neilson came driving into
the yard with Ma on the seat by
him, Lena set up a howl. Ma told
her to take three eggs and go to
Mortenson's for candy; Rosamay
almost wished she was staying.

When they left the babies at
Dunn's, Brother Dunn said there
was no great hurry, Pa might have
been held up at the mill, but Sister
Dunn said she would have been
hunting him yesterday.

They were across the creek and
on to the sandhills when Rosamay
mentioned the dog's howling last
night.

"That's bad," Rile shook his
head. "That's bad. I left the mill
Monday, and, if I'd a knowed Joe
was in Conejos, I'd a waited for
him. Funny I didn't see him. A
man's got no business driving alone
these days. The Rio Grande was

GREEN HILL FAR AWAY

so high the day I crossed I liked to
lost my team fording it. I shore hope
Joe ain't tried to cross since then."

Rosamay was standing in the
wagon holding on to the back of the
seat. When Ma turned quickly,
her bonnet fell back, and Rosamay
saw her eyes. They made her feel
sick.

"Then the river might have held
him up?"

"It's the river you're worrying
about, ain't it? You don't expect
him to run away, do you?"

Ma sort of collapsed and pulled
the bonnet over her face again.
Rosamay knew she had been think-
ing just that; but Rile, thinking he
had hurt her feelings, tried to
smooth things over.

"He might have gone by Del
Norte and the bridge," he said, "but
he's had more than time enough for
that, too."

Aaronic Priesthood

(Concluded from page 44)
meetings by greater participation
therein. )

Questions

1. What are the purposes of a sac-
rament meeting?

2. Using a blackboard, list in two op-
posite columns: (1) things which pro-
mote these purposes, and (2) things
which mar their realization.

3. Why do we partake of the sac-
rament?

4. What is the relationship between
baptism and the sacrament?

5. When, where, and by whom is
each group of boys and girls being
taught the meaning of the sacrament?

References

Read Mosiah 18:8-14 in conjunction
with Moroni 4 and 5; III Nephi 18; and
D.&C. 59:9-12.

.a still didn't talk, but
Rile didn't seem to notice. He went
on to tell how his wagon had over-
turned once when he was fording
the Rio Grande, and he had to cut
the team loose to save it. Then he
told how bad the gray wolves had
been for a few years — as if Ma
didn't know. Once a pack had
jumped him when he was watering
in the east field. He'd had to beat
them off with his shovel. Rosamay
wished there was a pack of gray
wolves right behind them to make
this slow-pokey team pick up its
heels. No — o, she didn't, either.
What if they went clean to Conejos
and still hadn't found Pa? That
would make a great how-do-you-do
in the ward. It would mean the end
of everything.

They reached the top of the last
sandhill. Ahead a dark gash snaked
its way south. That was the canyon
of the Rio Grande; beyond it was
a huddle of dark rocky hills.

They left the wagon and walked
to the one place where the river wall
was broken. One look at it and there
was no use hoping. Pa was gone, by
the river or the — the other way. The
water was frothy at the mouth and
slapped at them like everything
when they went too close.

"I never seen it so high and wild,"
Rile said, and all the bragging was
gone from his voice. "I'll follow
down the canyon a piece and see
what I can see."

That meant he thought Pa had
tried to cross. Knowing Pa you
couldn't tell. Sometimes he- — he
tried things, like carrying a calf once
when he couldn't make it lead. If
she never, never saw him again, she
prayed he wasn't in this wicked
river.

While Rile was gone, Ma stood
so close to the water her shoes got
wet. Rosamay tugged at her hand
trying to pull her back. She might
as well have tugged at Lite Moun-
tain; then she tried just waiting, but
the swirling water made her so dizzy
she was afraid she would fall in.
She moved back and sat on a big
rock. Beyond that huddle of dark
rocky hills was Manassa and way
beyond there was Conejos and the
flour mill, but where was Pa ?

When she could not stand it one
minute longer, Rosamay started to
cry. Ma heard above the roar of the
water. She looked at Rosamay as if
she hadn't known she was there,
then taking her by the hand she
started walking along the rim of
the canyon. Once they stopped and
looked across to the other side
where someone had camped not long
ago.

Rile came back. He had been a
couple of miles downstream, he said,
but the sand bars were all under
water, and he didn't see any wreck-
age. When he looked at Ma, his
face went gray under its sunburn.
He tried to talk to her, but she
didn't hear.

"He could have tried to ford it
without realizing how high the water
was. I did that once myself. Them
high walls are deceiving. If he tried
to cross, he is probably halfway to
Mexico by now."

Ma heard that. "If he tried it,
he'd make it across."

.osamay's heart warmed.
Why, Pa knew more about rivers
and teams in a minute than Rile
would ever know, and he could
swim, too, better than anyone in
town. But then if he hadn't tried —

"We'd better be getting back,"
Rile said at last, but he said it three
times before Ma turned. "I'll get
some help and come back. Some of
us had better make a trip to Conejos
to see if he ever left there." He
walked toward the wagon.

"Good-bye, Pa." Rosamay said
the words in her heart. This was

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

Green Hill Far Away

really good-bye. Ma, too, turned
for a last look.

A strong wind came puffing at
them like a wave of good-bye from
the river. Something — there was
something — moving with the wind
— there, among the rocks back from
the rim. Rosamay snatched her
hand from Ma's and went dashing
toward it.

It was something. With a loud
shout Rosamay took the corner of
that something and pulled it from
under the rock that anchored it. It
was Pa's big red handkerchief.
The wind had caught the loose cor-
ner and waved it at them. Ma had
it almost as soon as Rosamay did and
was untying the knot in it. Inside
was a piece of brown wrapping
paper with the writing made by a
burned match. Rile had followed
them and over Ma's shoulder he
read aloud :

'Taken outfit by bridge, Joe." Rile
exclaimed, then "Paper in hat cros-
sen — got lumber."

Wasn't that just like Pa to tell
the news last? 'Magine him swim-
ming that awful river with his hat
on so tight the paper didn't get wet.
All Ma said was: "I knew he could
cross if he took a notion."

Rile must not have liked it 'cause
she didn't get excited. "Do you
realize what that means?" he ex-
ploded. "He's been afraid to risk
his outfit so he risked his neck to
keep you from worrying."

"You didn't need to tell me that. I
knew it."

"Well, he ain't good enough to
swim it when the water is this high."
Rile was still nettled. "He must
have put the note there four, five
days ago, but no matter when, he
took a big chance swimming that
stream. Probably swum a horse
across and held onto its tail."

Going home was easy. Ma held
Rosamay close to her. and once
when her bonnet fell back, Ma
kissed her several times on the fore-
head. Her lips weren't tight at all
but soft and warm. Rosamay felt
herself going to sleep, when sud-
denly, as plain as day, she saw her
Green Hill Far Away, and a singing
went through her. She loved her
fancy name, for it was Pa's
"choose." He was sure to bring
candy, flour, and lumber, and — and
now what was it about lumber?

JANUARY 1947

• ■♦

its

f. W

Yes, giving a gift of
Glade's fine Chocolates
is superlative expres-
sion of esteem. It flat-
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that you thought of
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or him. And you're al-
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...that Glade's is fresh
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You Can't Afford to Miss One Issue of

THE CENTENNIAL

IMPROVEMENT ERA

12 Issues

$2.00

THE CHURCH MOVES ON (Concluded horn page 38)

MISSIONARIES WHO ENTERED THE MISSIONARY

HOME NOVEMBER 18 AND DEPARTED

NOVEMBER 27, 1946

Left to right, first row: Merriner LaRue Jones,
Cleone Rogers Stable, Metta Johnson, Genevieve
May, Sam Salter, Don B. Colton, director; Effie A.
Boman, Esther Robinson, Renee Wood, Oreen Clark,
LuDean Archibald, David Rue Keele.

Second row: Dee Blanchard, Donald D. Lamoreaux,
Lee H. Hendrickson, Donna Facer, Blanche Godfrey,
Dahlia Louise West, Harry G. Willis, Adolphine Willis,
Elfreda F. Bushman, John M. Bushman, Dean U.
Ottley, Louise Rohbock, Willard H. Christensen.

Third row: Christian Raymond Christensen, James
Edward Holt, James Reid Davis, L. Glade Greenhalgh,
Albern Merrill Holyoak, Vaun M. Clements, Earl Ray
McEntire, Burns Cox, Hannah H. Cox, Elvira Bench,

John L. Bench, Eugene R. Clarke, M. Ray Longhurst.

Fourth row: Evelyn M. Taylor, Norma Sanders,
Jennie B. Hill, Margaret Robinson, J. Samuel New-
man, Ada C. Newman, Josephine F. Lundwall, Nels B.
Lundwall, Edward Bruce Wentz, Richard E. Lund-
strom, Ruth Shields, Mary Isabel! Crook.

Fifth row: V. Wayne Nelson, Elvin M. Lunt, Kay
J. Andersen, Lloyd Hubbard Bodine, Dale M. Rindlis-
bacher, A. N. Chaston, Russell Beattie, Thomas
Henry Heal, Eva Ward Heal, Frank C. Davis, Reed
R. Durtschi, E. Blaine Sorensen, Vance Campbell,
Connie Oborn.

Sixth row: Marion Swain, Garth A. Stephenson,
Ashby D. Nelson, Dean F. Redford, Albert W.
Crosby, Nick R. Petersen, Kenneth J. Steele, Douglas
W. Loosle, Blanche Jones Houchen, Ruth Ellen Hansen,
Robert B. Anderson, Harold C. Yancey, George B.
Cart.

Seventh row: Richard W. Stokes, Glenn A. Patten,
Don J. Christensen, William D. Butler, Francis M
Hathoock, William Le Johnson, Vernal W. Thompson,
Gordon E. Nelson, Joseph H. Clegg.

Eighth row: Clifford E. Carter, Edgar L. Wright,
Arthur L. Preece, Donald I. Benson, Weston E. Porte/,
Maria E. V, Roothoff, John J. Roothoff, Ralph E,
Ranck, James P. Neeley, Glenn H. Robertson, Oscar
L. Wilde, W. E. Crane.

Ninth row: Joseph Grant Stevenson, Sterling Loy
Meldrum, T. Lawrence Oliphant, M. J. Tolley, Clar-
ence E. Felix, Jerrol M. Boyer, Lloyd W. Brown, Edwin
Strobel, Lowell D. Oswald, Louis J. Bowers, Jr.,
Robert H. Lindelof.

Tenth row: Charles DelMar, John L. Willis, Alvin
Adams Gabrielsen, Maxel Stevenson Romney, Rusself
W. Miles, Emron Merril Pratt, Vay Simper, Nelh
Rupert Silcox, Clyde K. Rudd.

(Concluded from page 22)
work. Just as she finished the row
she saw, from the corner of her eye,
Posey slowly rising. Her heart
leaped to her mouth, dreading what
he might now do. Just then hoof-
beats sounded, and Jane realized
Charles was returning home, and
that the Walton dog was with him.
Posey became aware of these sounds
too, and realized his game was up.
Grasping his gun, with a blood
curdling whoop, he hurriedly tried
to reach his horse, but could not
move quite fast enough. The dog be-
came very much interested in the
seat of Posey's pants, was quite suc-
cessful in obtaining same, and
Posey, sans trousers seat, with an-
other yell, mounted his horse and
raced away.

On hearing his mother's story,
Charles was gravely concerned,
while all the settlers were thrown
into consternation, as they feared an
Indian attack would be made. Days
passed, however, and gradually their
fears were forgotten. Weeks later,
Posey again came asking for food,
and as he slid through the doorway
he averred, "Me no mad," which
caused Jane and the whole village to
be easy in their minds as far as In-
dians were concerned. Indeed, a
deep and lasting friendship sprang
54

PILGRIMS OF THE WEST

into being between the Walton fam-
ily and the Indians.

"pOR two years events moved hardly
noticed to Pioneer Day, 1891.
This being a big day in Utah and
Church history, endeavors were
made to celebrate it as joyously as
possible. There were a parade,
sports for the children, and at night
a dance, which the entire country-
side attended, the cowboys inviting
themselves to be present. Since
money was practically unknown,
tickets were purchased with vegeta-
bles, which were carefully stacked
and later given to those in need.

Charles' father tuned his violin;
Charles himself played the old parlor
organ. Bishop Jones added to the
hilarity with his harmonica; John
Rogerson called the dances. The
strains of "Twin Sisters" had died
away, and it had been announced
that "Money Musk" would be the
next dance. Suddenly galloping
horses, shouts, and revolver shots
were heard outside. It proved to be
Tom Roach, a notorious outlaw, ac-
companied by a friend. As Tom was
very drunk, his friend endeavored to
persuade him not to enter the dance
hall. With an oath, Tom turned and
shot his friend, and kicking him
where he fell, reeled into the room

demanding dances of every pretty
girl. Pandemonium reigned! John
Smith pushed two girls with whom
he had danced to a rear window,
helped them through, quickly follow-
ing himself. After getting them
home, he hastened to his own house,
took his father's Winchester from
the wall, and raced back. Everything
was still in an uproar, Tom Roach
pushing and pulling in an effort to
get his dance. Smith leveled the
Winchester, but the outlaw, sensing
his danger, in a flash pulled Jane in
front of him. The report sounded,
and Jane murmuring, "You have
hurt me," dropped to the floor
dead. Suddenly sobered, Tom
Roach rushed out, mounted his horse
and galloped away. A posse of white
men was quickly made up to search
for him. To show their love of the
Walton family, the Indians made
another posse, which Posey joined,
vowing eternal vengeance on Roach.
The outlaw was never found, al-
though the Indians kept up their
search long after the white men gave
up in despair. Jane was gone, but to
her descendants she bequeathed
many noble qualities, such as kind-
ness to all in need, an intrepid spirit
with which to face the trials of life,
and unswerving obedience to the
Church Authorities.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

THE JOSEPH SMITH MONUMENT AT SOUTH ROYALTON

(Continued from page 18)
Junius Weils himself was as much
of a drawing card as his great pro-
cession. Everyone wanted to see this
western gentleman who could order
and direct such a stupendous piece
of business. He was agreeable, halt-
ing many times in the midst of his
busy directing to answer questions
popped at him by men and women
who had come to witness this great
feat.

Some of the questions asked were
personal. A great many had to do
with the thoughts: "What are these
'Mormons' going to do next?" "Will
they try to run this country?" "Who
told them they could come here?"
The question of plural marriage
sometimes came up. To all such
gibes and questioning Junius Wells
never showed the slightest peeve or
dudgeon. Every answer was pre-
saged by a smile or a cheery greet-
ing.

HPhe great caravan wound slowly
up the stiff grade along the nar-
row highway by the aid of men,
horses, windlass, toil, and sweat un-
til it came to the Mcintosh farm.
Here it had to turn off across a
meadow before reaching its resting
place on the Sharon knoll. Time was
running short. It was definitely ar-
ranged that the dedication of the
monument was to take place on De-
cember 23, 1 905, the anniversary of
the birth of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, and it was now mid-Decem-
ber. A little swamp hole in the
meadow became a serious difficulty.
Stones were dumped into the hole.
They sank from sight. An effort
was made to build a corduroy road
across the swamp but every time it
was tried, down it went into the
quicksand. As Junius said, "My
heart sank with it." He was truly
disturbed. Not often did you see that
courageous spirit so down. His ef-
forts had failed. With all the horses
and men at his disposal he had not
been able to cross the diabolical lit-
tle swamp hole that lay in his path.
That night some friends gathered
to console him. They asked, "What
are you going to do about it now,
Mr. Wells?" Junius never showed
ostentation about his religion, or
tried at any time to force his views
on others, but that he was of a deep-
ly religious nature there can be no
doubt. After thanking them cordial-

JANUARY 1947

ly for their evident kind interest, he
quietly said, "Gentlemen, do you be-
lieve in answers to prayer?" Some
allowed maybe they did, some
snickered a little, others looked
ashamed and said nothing. Junius
wished them all a good night and
said, "I am going to pray about it."
He did. His great heart burst forth its
petition to the Unseen. In all sincer-
ity and truth he asked meekly and
humbly for the help of the great
Forgiver and Lover of humanity.
For some time the neighbors had
been congratulating Junius on the
fine "Mormon weather" he had
brought with him. Day after day
was sunny, warm, and pleasant —
ideal for out of doors work. During
the night that his friends had left him
on his knees in fervent prayer to the
God in whom he so devoutly be-
lieved, the thermometer dropped
thirty or more degrees. The next
morning when Junius arrived at the
swamp hole, it was frozen solid.
The horses neighed, the whips
cracked, and without further ado,
the great wagon with its load rode
over the hole without a hitch.

When the foundation for the base
of the monument was laid, an aper-
ture of about two feet square was
left in the center of the base before
the upper base stone was laid over it.
It was then that Mr. Wells called on
his clerical help and had them issue
an invitation to all the local celebri-
ties, judiciary, lawyers, doctors,
merchants, and rank and file, bidding
them to meet him at his hotel for a
party. Everyone was requested to
bring some article such as a Bible,

IN OLD NAUVOO

By Georgia Moore Eberling

HPhe ghosts of those long-gone still walk
* today
The streets of old Nauvoo. You hear the

tread
Of heavy boots, and all the martyred dead
Move silently along their unseen way.

The river in its mist of silver-gray
Rolls restlessly within its mighty bed,
And whispers of a bitter day, now fled,
Hints of dark secrets of an ancient fray.

The world moves slowly on its crimson
course

From bigotry to tolerance and peace,

And slowly comes to know the one great
Source

Of understanding, where all conflicts cease.

When Love with calm-eyed Reason, sup-
plants Force,

God's plan will know fruition and release.

prayer book, old newspaper, photo-
graphs of their families or some such
trinket. Before taking leave of the
party, all lined up single file to pass
by the table in the center of the room
whereon sat a shiny copper box. As
each guest passed by, he or she
dropped the souvenir or article
brought with him into the box,
These, together with copies of the
affidavits showing the site of the
birthplace of the Prophet and a
statement concerning the erection of
the monument were dropped into the
box. It was then soldered shut. In
the morning Junius took the box and
laid it gently and reverently in the
aperture in the base of the great
monument. It was then cemented in
and covered for all time with the big
base and monument above. It was a
great thought of a great personality.
Some of the boys called him "Genius
Wells."

H^HE day finally came to raise the
great pedestal in the air and set
it down on end upon the founda-
tions atop the "die" bearing the in-
scription record. A great crowd as-
sembled in the bleak wind on Dairy
Hill with coat collars turned up and
earlaps down. Mr. Howland, the
engineer who had set the big pillars
up in front of the Cathedral of St.
John the Divine in New York, was in
charge. Everyone asked the same
question. "How can he do it?" His
contrivance was so simple it was a
surprise to see how it was done. Two
uprights with a cross timber atop, all
safely guyed to "dead-men" set
firmly in the ground, the pulleys
down from the crossbar at the top,
and twelve horses marching around
on sweeps to turn the windlass like
an old-time western threshing ma-
chine, drew the big shaft up and up
endwise until it swung free in the
air. It was then let down slowly and
placed in the exact spot that had
been prepared for it. Not a bump,
scratch, or chip — a perfect drop into
place. The cap was sent up on the
pulleys to Mr. Howland to lay in
place in a bed of cement on the head
of the shaft. Junius told him that
when he had the top laid, to signal
him by waving his cap.

When the signal was finally given,

the crowd started cheering, but only

for a moment. They were set back

on their heels by Wells at the foot

(Concluded on page 56)

THE JOSEPH SMITH MONUMENT AT SOUTH ROYALTON

{ Concluded from page 55 )
of the monument. He was waving his
arms frantically and shouting, "Stop!
Stop!" The cheering ceased and to
the surprise of all, he fell upon his
knees at the foot of the monument
and offered a prayer — a prayer of
thanksgiving that he had been per-
mitted to do this thing. When he had
finished, he jumped to his feet and
yelled, "All right, boys, now I am
with you, let her go!" Then the
crowd did yell and shout, "Wells,
Wells, hurrah for Junius Wells!"

The subsequent dedication serv-
ices; the beautiful singing of Emma

Lucy Gates the granddaughter of
Brigham Young, and Bob Easton the
Metropolitan Opera tenor; the
soirees and all the other ceremonies
participated in by the Church Au-
thorities who came on by special
train from Salt Lake City is all a
matter of record. Junius Wells has
passed on to his forefathers, but will
long be remembered in South Royal-
ton and Sharon, Vermont. Some
people thought it was an extravagant
outlay of time and money to place
so great a monument in so remote a
place where it could be seen by only
a limited number of people. Its cost

was not such a vast sum as viewed
in these days, but to the men of
Junius Wells' faith it is a shrine of
inestimable value. Many people
wend their way up Dairy Hill to that
spot to gain inspiration for their
work in life, and who shall say their
faith is in vain? Near the spot where
the baby Joseph Smith was rocked in
his old-fashioned cradle by his moth-
er stands the tall granite shaft, point-
ing steadily toward the blue vault of
heaven where God alone is supreme
and where all races, creeds, and
tongues are equally subject to his
mercy and justice.

(Continued from page 20)
ant. If their sense of good taste gets in
the way, they may not want to make
an exhibition of themselves in pub-
lic, and if their feelings are at all
sensitive or protective, they may not
want the word "smooching" applied
to a sincere expression of their feel-
ings.

And the long view at your age, or
almost any age this side of marriage,
is that all this probably will not last.
It is impossible for anything to stand
still, and since this thing can go only
so far, before it must stop, the
chances are that both will get tired
of the "stalemate," and it will all
"blow up."

'T'he mother knows that under the
intense modern stimulation of
movies, books, dancing, cars, it is
very natural for the romantic inter-
est of the average boy and girl to
develop rapidly and to find quick
outlet in demonstration. What hap-
pens may be something like this: If
it is the first love experience of either
or both, they may feel very near and
dear and wonderful. They feel a bit
responsible for one another and per-
fectly sure that they have found the
right one, and that some day, in the
not too far future, they will marry.
They feel that never will there be
another whom they could care for
so much. At first, of course, they
just hold hands, or if they are in the
back seat of the car, it's late, and
she's feeling tired, her head is on his
shoulder. Then they decide that a
good-night kiss would be all right.
And then, in a very little while one
56

LET'S TALK IT OVER

kiss isri't enough! Perhaps you have
noticed that I have been dieting re-
cently. Do you know why I never
eat a piece of candy? One piece of
candy wouldn't be so terrible — even
on a diet. But experience has taught
me that if I eat one, I want — and
probably take — ten. So with a kiss —
one calls for more — much more.
Somewhere along the line, — in all
decency, — one has to stop. Then it
is exactly as if a fast racer were
brought up abruptly against a
strong, taut, finish line. The line
will neither snap nor give, as the
ordinary finish lines does, and so the
racer is knocked out. Romance
should not be a dash. Speed has to
be controlled sufficiently so that
either participant can stop abruptly
without anyone's being greatly in-
jured. To change the figure a bit —
emotion can be as deadly as a fast
car— unless the person at the wheel
can keep it under complete control.
And who of us can be sure of that?

"I like my boy friend— but not too
well," says our young correspond-
ent. "I can handle this. I'm not go-
ing to be swept off my feet — he
doesn't mean that much to me. A
little of this 'come hither' will keep
him at my call so I can get around
and see other boys. This way, I may
meet the right one. And all the time
I'm waiting, I'm having a very good
time."

Well, is she? Can you have a good
time playing around with someone
who really doesn't mean anything to
you? It isn't quite honest, and dis-
honesty of any kind harms the per-
petrator— first and last. It dulls the

fine, full power of our own ability to
care. It takes some of the ecstasy
away. I believe firmly that "smooch-
ing" with someone for whom you
don't care, is even more dangerous
than getting in a little too deep with
one for whom you do. You risk los-
ing much in the last instance, but you
never had anything to begin with in
the first. In the long run, my little
defender of "smooching" would be
better off without her date. Even
right now she'd probably have a
great deal more fun popping corn
around the living room fire with her
younger brothers and sisters.

I" WRITE you all this because usually,
but not always, it is the boy who
initiates the idea. In general, you are
the aggressor. It flatters a girl to
think that you want a little loving
from her, and she may not want to
offend you. But, on the other hand,
sometimes a boy thinks that a girl
expects it, and that if he doesn't try
something, she will think him a com-
plete "dud." There are all kinds of
girls — just as there are all kinds of
boys, so it may be that some girls
expect this type of attention just as it
may be that some boys are unwilling
to take a girl out who will not cooper-
ate. But I am banking on your desire
for only the best in life, and I am
counting also on the power of my
young friend to "grow up" and look
ahead, and when I say that, I don't
think there is any lasting satisfaction
in "smooching" for either of you —
for any of you.

Your sister Jane once said to me
that she didn't actually like all this

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

LET'S TALK IT OVER

loving. Oh, it had its pleasant side,
but she really wanted to save her
kisses for the "one and only," and —
"if you are actually going to do that,
you really have to wait until you are
sure— wait and wait." She said it
with a little shamefaced laugh be-
cause she felt that the remark
branded her. Some of us older wom-
en who have had the satisfaction of
loving deeply in marriage could un-
derstand her feelings, but it would
probably have been laughed at by
many of her friends because it is na-
tural for the young to want to be part
of popular thinking. She also said
that she thought most girls indulged
because they were not only confused
but also a little bored.

To me, it seemed a decidedly
troublesome idea that our own lack
of vitality and enthusiasm should
lead us in paths which inevitably end
in still less life and energy, in com-
plete boredom. With this in mind,
it would seem highly intelligent for
boys to take out girls who are inter-
esting and vital — not just pretty and
tantalizing. It would seem smart for
girls to keep themselves rested and
gay and resistant. I wonder if late
hours — (ending in early hours) —
don't bring us nearer to that dullness
of mind and body which calls for the
drug of "smooching"?

I can hear you say, "You're getting
pretty serious about this, Mother."
I don't want to seem too serious, yet
it gives me real concern to believe
that the main reason youngsters
break loose is because they are not
quick witted and smart enough to
think up a better form of entertain-
ment. "Smooching" is the lazy
couple's way out. It takes energy,
tolerance, good nature, quick wit,
and real tact to handle the situation.
True, not every girl or boy possesses
these qualities— but they are quali-
ties worth working at.

JANE tried to pin me down once on
methods.

"Now, Mother," she said, "Just
use your imagination a little. Here
is Dick, and here am I. I like Dick.
I hope Dick likes me. He asks for a
good-night kiss. I don't want to kiss
him. I like him very much, but some-
how I don't want to kiss him. Maybe
I'm afraid I like him too well — may-
be I'm afraid I don't like him well
enough. I don't know exactly how
he feels, but I think maybe he feels

JANUARY 1947

about as I do, only he is willing to
risk more — boys seem willing often-
er than girls. Now, how do I not
kiss him and still not hurt his feel-
ings? How do I not kiss him and yet
leave him liking me even better, I
hope?"

A hard one? Perhaps. I'm not so
very wise — but, I do know that if
they both like each other, it can be
done. The heavy hand is out. It re-
quires a light touch. The girl who
first started the series of answers, a
sample of which was, "I never kiss
anyone unless it's exactly 3:16 on
Monday morning," had something.
But it's been done so much that its
freshness has vanished. It is nothing
but a "line," and is so recognized. A
touch of humor mixed with warm
sincerity — a girl's own way of an-
swering— is the best.

Betty's reply appealed to me, "I
think I'd probably like it very much,
but if I shouldn't, I just don't want
to find it out tonight. I want to keep
you wondering about me."

Maybe there is too much of the
"come-on" about it. She may have
to make herself clearer, but since it
was essentially true, it serves well
until a more definite move becomes
necessary.

I tell you this because I think it
may make you more understanding.
Perhaps you won't want to put a girl
you like "on the spot." Let me try
to say it this way:

jCriendship between boys and girls
or men and women is not so much
a mad race as a journey, ending, we
all hope, in the lasting loveliness of
true marriage. This journey may be
long, venturesome, and at times, un-

mapped. You will, of course, have
plenty of company on this journey.
But remember, that one doesn't al-
ways want, need, or profit from too
much company because it may be
that you will see beauty where others
are blind, hear music where others
are deaf, and have inner yearning
which the crowd's mad dash cannot
satisfy. Instead of racing along with
the world, you will have to be a little
choosey, and discriminating — even
slow. I hope you will walk with your
girl friends — not asking too much of
them or of yourself — just happy in
good company — content to let them
know you as you are and discover
them as they are. I hope you won't
over-extend yourself lest the journey
becomes wearisome, or you miss its
best parts, or you arrive unfitted for
your destination.

Does all this seem too fanciful to
you? If so, we'll try again. To be
worth while, a friendship should
bring out the best in both of you —
that is one of the ultimate tests of
love. Love is not really blind. All
the virtue it sees, actually exists and
develops under its warm stimulation
— but "smooching" puts blinders on
us all. If friendship grows without
the aid of too many caresses, we
come to know and understand each
other unenslaved by our senses. On
the other hand we miss a lot of hon-
est feeling in our romantic lives by
drugging our senses too early and
too much. Emotion can be satisfied
in happier ways if wit and good
sense are brought to this greatest ad-
venture of life. Your own vast en-
ergy and gaiety should lend great
help to this happier way — particu-
larly if you feel, as I do, about
"smooching" — that "there's no fu-
ture in it." your loying Mother

HOLE IN THE ROCK

(Continued from page 17)
cedar berries, and held a promise of
warmth for the journey.

Kumen Jones, a young man of
twenty-four, lithe and graceful in
spite of his ill-fitting pioneer clothes,
maneuvered his horse to the low,
white gate of his mother's home,
where she and his wife waited to tell
him good-bye. The sprawling log
house back of the gate was little
more than a thin shadow in the gray
dawn; but the two women in their
white wool shawls made a patch of
light that guided him.

"I've not forgotten a thing," he
cried, leaning down to take his wife's
hand. "I'm to report what the wom-
en are wearing, what the prospects
are for getting some leather for
shoes, and cloth for new dresses.
I'm to deliver the contents of my
right pocket to your friends, Mary,
and the contents of my left pocket to
Mother's friends. Anything else?"

Mary smiled up at him, knowing

that a quirk would be tugging at

the corner of his lips, as it always

was when he was happy. It was all

(Continued on page 58)

AS MAN EATS
AND DRINKS

We believe that, in large meas-
ure, as a man eats and drinks,
so is he. For food, nature has
given us fruits of the sun and
soil. These are priceless treas-
ures, conducive to health of
body and mind. Besides these,
we need no stimulants.

You who agree, will be inter-
ested in a delicious drink that
is made from grain and fruit.
And this delightful, wholesome
beverage contains no caffeine,
other stimulants, or narcotics.

FICGO is known to millions of
people who think sanely about
food and drink. It is made of
roasted barley and tree-ripened
California figs. It is a boon to
non-coffee drinkers who admit-
tedly, and rightly, enjoy a
wholesome hot drink with their
meals. Wholesome FICGO can
be freely recommended as a
healthful drink for the whole
family.

LEONARD H. BALLIF, President

California Ficgo Company

Los Angeles, California

Centennial
Headquarters

Throughout 1947 Utahns
and tourists alike will
make the Hotel Temple
Squaie their headquarters
for the scores of Centen-
nial events scheduled in
Salt Lake. We welcome
you heartily. However,
to avoid disappointment,
won't you please make
your reservations well in
advance of your visit?
Thank you I

Hotel Temple
Square

Clarence L. West, Mgr.

HOLE IN THE ROCK

{Continued ivom page 57)
that kept his face from being too
serious, and it was never quite ef-
faced unless he was displeased or
angry.

"Poke fun if you like," she said
laughingly, "only don't forget to
bring me a present. Flowers, re-
member. They'll be blooming down
there."

"I'll not forget, my dear. And I
have a real surprise planned, if I can
get it for you. And don't ask any
questions," he warned. "Or you'll
get nothing."

They laughed happily, and Mary
stood on tiptoe to kiss him good-
bye.

"Go on with you, Kumen," Sage
Treharne said, a little piqued at their
confidential voices. "You're as anx-
ious to be off as that bad-mannered
horse you're riding. He'll paw my
gate down if he has to wait any
longer. Good-bye, and hurry home."

Mary loosened her clinging fingers
from Kumen's hand and waved to
him as he rode off, galloping
after the fifty other horsemen al-
ready out along the way. "What a
feathery morning!" she cried, filling
her lungs with the clean smell of
spring earth. "How I'd love to be
riding away in it as Kumen is."

Sage looked at Mary in wonder.
There were times when she could see
why her son had married this Danish
girl of so much vitality. That feath-
ery business, now. That was exactly
the way the air seemed. Maybe Ku-
men hadn't made a mistake after all.
She liked Mary real well this morn-
ing.

"We'll get the log cabin quilt into
the frames and have it out again be-
fore Kumen gets back," she said.
"There isn't room in a house for a
man and a quilt at the same time."

"There will be in my house,'
Mary said quickly. "Or else I'll not
make quilts."

Sage Treharne sniffed. "Just you
try it once, my girl," she advised.
"You've got a lot to learn yet."

Her thin, straight nose was quiv-
ering with vexation as she hurried
toward the house.

Mary followed. "I wish I could
ever remember to think first and talk
afterward," she sighed. "I always
seem to say and do the wrong things.
Why do I, when I want so much to
please?"

At the door, Sage Treharne
turned and said crisply, "I carried
the scraps for this quilt across the
plains in my bustle, as you very well
know, because there wasn't room
any place else. I've hoarded those
few silk scraps for years, for Ku-
men a wedding quilt. I don't want
to be another dozen years getting
them quilted!"

Mary closed her lips on an impa-
tient retort. Sage was old and set in
her ways, and it was not up to a
daughter-in-law to< question her. But
it was sometimes hard to be obedient
and domestic when spring was just
around the corner.

She opened the door for Sage
Treharne, and, together, they went
inside.

[™)own the street from the Jones*
house, Mary's mother was at
that minute deciding that the best
way to spend the time, while her
husband was gone, was to make a
batch of soap. Her "Yense" didn't
like the smell of stale grease and
ashes lye, but she loved it. Her
nostrils fairly itched for the frugal
smell. And she liked the sight of. the
curlicued old cracklings as they
melted to a velvet liquid in the lye
bath and went rolling from circle to
center of the big, pot-bellied kettle
that hung from a tripod in the back
yard, with fire flames lapping at its
sides.

This was going to be a good year,
she predicted, getting her materials
together for the soap. There had
been plenty of snow, and, now, an
early spring for the planting of
crops. They were surely blessed.
After the hardships they had en-
dured for years, it was good to set-
tle down and just live. They would
prosper this year— barring drought,
crickets, floods, hailstorms, and In-
dian raids!

She laughed a rare, crisp laugh,
and lighted the fire under the big
kettle. Yes, it was good to be alive!

Elsie Nielson was a small, capable
woman, unassuming and quiet, lov-
ing her home and her family and
her Danish husband inordinately.
Where other women were Mrs.
Bullock, Miz Duncan, or Sister
Smith, depending upon their posi-
tions in the Church, or in civic af-
fairs, she was the town's Aunt Elsie.
Owing to the prominence and de-

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

HOLE IN THE ROCK

pendability of her husband and her
pride in him, there were times when
she hardly remembered that she had
another name.

Not having had any sons of her
own, her love for her daughter's hus-
band was second only to that which
she lavished on her "Yense." Mary
was married to such a good man, she
said often, and someday Julia would
be, too. And then she would have
sons enough for any woman. And
that was something to be thankful
for. Of course, she had to remind
herself, Julia wasn't married yet, but
the man she would marry would be
good, like Kumen and her papa,
"Yense." And just as soon as she
got her soap made, she and Julia
would go up to the Jones' house and
work on Mary's quilt. Which, of
course, wasn't Mary's quilt, but
Kumen's, according to his mother.

Aunt Elsie poked the fire angrily.
Sage Treharne almost never spoke
of anything as if it were Mary's —
not even a quilt. Everything was
Kumen's. And she, Mary's mother,
was pretty sure that she knew why.
She wasn't the town's Aunt Elsie for
nothing! She had been told plenty
about how Sage was worrying over
Mary's not having a baby. But what
of that? Men could live without sons,
couldn't they!

Measuring and stirring, with the
vehemence of her thinking evident in
every stroke, Aunt Elsie made her
soap, tasted it for sharpness, rubbed
it between her fingers for blend, and
pronounced it done. She scattered
the fire brands under the kettle and,
brushing the smudges from her
hands and apron she went into the
house.

An hour later Aunt Elsie and her
daughter Julia were on their way to
Sage Treharne's house.

'I don't see anyone else going to-
ward Sage's house, Mother," Julia
remarked, looking up and down the
street. "Do you suppose there will
be some others there?"

"Goodness, I hope so!" Aunt Elsie
exclaimed. "It will be dull if there
isn t.

"I'll bet Arabella Smith will be
there," Julia said.

"Why, of course she will," her
mother agreed. "She and Mary are
bosom friends."

Julia took her mother's arm af-
fectionately. "I think there is an-

JANUARY 1947

other reason why she'll be there,
Mother," she said. "The town's
folk say it is because Arabella is go-
ing to have a baby."

Aunt Elsie was scandalized. "In
my day young girls didn't talk about
such things," she said sharply, for-
getting to skirt the mud puddles.
"And besides, what could that have
to do with Mary?"

"Influence, they say, Mother.
Silly, isn't it?" Getting no answer,
Julia hurried after her mother in
silence to the Jones' house. Then,
"Here we are, Mother," she said
briskly, "and Sage Treharne is look-
ing out of the door."

"She would be!" Aunt Elsie mut-
tered. "We've talked along until we
are late, and Sage can't abide people
to be late."

Sage Treharre greeted them with
the remark, "Elsie, do you know
that Ann Decker is going to have a
baby?"

Aunt Elsie started guiltily. "Well,
what of it?" she snapped. "Her last
one is two years old, and she has a
perfect right to have another one if
she wants to."

"I know of some that have not had
even one yet," Sage said pointedly.
"But come in, come right on in!"

Julia looked quickly at Mary.
What a cruel thing for Sage to say.

Mary's face was scarlet. She be-
gan to quilt rapidly, but her eyes
were blinded with tears, and she
pricked her fingers till the blood ran.
She dabbed a bit of white wool from
the edge of the quilt to her finger
angrily. Let them talk! What should
she care? Arabella had told her
many times that it didn't matter what
people thought and said, it was all
in the way you took things yourself.
But Arabella had her children, two
of them. It was easy for her to give
advice. She had never been the sub-
ject of their measuring eyes and
speculative tongues. Please, please
God, she prayed, let me be as others
are. Let me win Sage's love by giv-
ing her son a child!

Dretending to be tired of quilting,
Mary went to stand at the win-
dow, wondering who would break
the silence that had fallen at Sage's
unkind words. But no one spoke.
There was the click of scissors, the
(Continued on page 60)

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HOLE IN THE ROCK

(Continued from page 59)
slow deep breathing of restraint,
and that was all. But there was al-
ways one shining hope for her. Soon
she would be living in a home of her
own, alone with Kumen. There it
stood now, framed in the window
like a picture, needing only the doors
and windows for its completion.
How proud she was of it! She and
Kumen had moulded every brick and
hewn every timber that had gone
into it. It would have glass windows
and a board floor, too; and few pio-
neer houses had those luxuries. Soon
she'd move from Sage Treharne's
log house — three rooms in a row —
into her own home of brick and lum-
ber, and for the moment she was
happy. But try as she would to have
faith, to hope that she would have a
child, there was the dull conviction
that she never would. And without
children a house was never home.

Poor Kumen, Mary sighed, trac-
ing a pattern in the soft slivers of
the wood of the window sill, perhaps
he'll wish, someday, that he had
married one of the pretty Welch
girls his mother wanted to pick out.
As it was, Sage never let her forget
that she was a big Danish girl who

couldn't do her woman's part by giv-
ing her husband a son.

Mary's eyes flashed as she turned
from the window. They had no right
to keep talking about her all the time.
Let them like it or not, Kumen had
married her. Nothing, nothing in all
the world could take that assurance
away from her. She tossed her head
and went back to the quilt, but
through all her life she remembered
the bitterness of that hour with its
frightening implications.

Into that mood came the news
crier's voice. Louder and more ter-
rifying with each racing step came
the cry: "Deseret News! Deseret
telegraph News!"

Dimly and far off, as though it had
come out of Kumen's year-long
dream, Mary heard young Henry
Lunt's words: "It's a new mission,
Sister Jones. Another new mission!"

The quilting needles flashed in
the last cold rays of the sun that slid
past the red hills. Night settled upon
the town, spreading a physical
gloom to oppress their already heavy
hearts. A vulture flew over the roof
tops and into the shadows to wait
the onslaught of a new day.
( To be continued)

HOW THE DESERT WAS TAMED

{Continued from page 15)
about the country to be entered but
illustrates and explains the methods
used by the Pioneers, intelligent
people, on the long trek to the "val-
ley," and in reducing the "great
desert" and "great sandy plain" to
the needs of communities of men. It
is characteristic of Latter-day Saints
to expect help from heaven, but also
to be prepared to use it practically
when it is received. It is equally true
of their belief that by self-help they
may best invite divine help.

"\X7hen the Latter-day Saints set
out from Nauvoo, they knew
they were going into the heart of the
Great West. Just where they would
settle had not been finally decided.
But they were certain that when the
right place was found, the leader
and the followers would know. Brig-
ham Young indeed declared that in a
vision he had seen the place of set-
tlement, even to the location of the
temple. He would recognize it when
he saw it.

So it happened. After a trek of

over fifteen hundred miles, the lead-
er looked down upon the Salt Lake
valley, and exclaimed, "This is the
place," The Pioneers were prepared
for the tasks awaiting them. There-
fore, they conquered, they had the
world's knowledge of the place,
meager as it was, in their possession;
and they had brought with them
enough of tools and food to begin the
work of conquest.

Preparation for their work was a
first factor in their work of redeem-
ing the desert. That is the first les-
son taught by the Pioneers.

The Conquerors Come

'J'he evacuation of Nauvoo was
forced on the Saints in the dead
of winter. The first company, headed
by John Smith, ferried across the
Mississippi among ice floes on Feb-
ruary fourth, eighteen hundred and
forty-six.

John R. Young, a lad of nine
years, awaking from his night's sleep
amidst much hustle and bustle in the

*THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

HOW THE DESERT WAS TAMED

join the main body of the Church.

The pioneers who settled in the
house, saw two men carrying out the states of the Union. Members were Great Basin of North America were,
household goods and loading them also won from European groups that therefore, a mixture of many nation-
into two wagons. "My mother looks had settled in the United States, alities.
pale, and when I ask her 'What is such as the Norwegian settlement of
the matter?' she takes me in her arms, LaSalle in Wisconsin. The British

kisses me and says, 'We are going to
leave our home, and will never see it
again.' "

Other companies, from Nauvoo
and elsewhere, followed in steady
succession. ^he temperature fell.

Mission, opened in 1837, and the
Scandinavian Mission, opened in
1850, brought through the years a
flow of tens of thousands of new
Church members. From other Eu-
ropean countries came believers in

The river was frozen over part of the the new-found gospel, though not in

time. But the evacuation continued.
Soon the westward trail through
Iowa became a highway. The
Church as a whole was moving to
the promised but unknown place of
peace in the West.

Temporary settlements were made
on the way, where the earlier com-
panies grew crops for 4ater ones, and
otherwise arranged to help the mov-
ing Saints. The chief of these was
Winter Quarters, near what is now
Omaha, Nebraska, where a veritable
temporary city was built.

In the spring of 1847, Brigham
Young led the Pioneer party over the
plains and mountains to the valley
of the Great Salt Lake, which he
recognized from his vision to be the
place of settlement.

Thenceforth, until 1869, when the
railroad came, there streamed across
the plains orderly companies of
"Mormons" bound for the Utah
haven. They came with ox teams,
handcarts, and on foot. The whole
story has no parallel in the world's
history.

Suffering there was and plenty of
it among the emigrants. Birth and
death became commonplace on the
emigrant route. A monument in
Omaha honors the memory of those
who laid down their lives on this
march. It is estimated that six thou-
sand emigrants found their graves
by the "Mormon" trail during the
twenty- three years following the set-
tlement in the Salt Lake valley.

X17ho were these people — the in-
trepid "Mormon" pioneers of
the intermountain West of North
America — the people who dared to
enter the unsettled scarcely charted
wilderness to make their homes?

The founders of the Church, and
the first converts, were mostly Amer-
icans with pedigrees running back to
the early settlement of New Eng-
land. As the Church grew, converts
were gathered in from the other

JANUARY 1947

such large numbers. Whatever their
origin, the new converts sought to

These conquerors of desert places
were generally of the stout middle
class in nineteenth century society,
such as farmers, tradesmen, small
merchants, and a sprinkling of
schoolteachers and other profession-
al people. In the middle of the last
century college training was very
limited; yet the Church gathered in
a number of college men. As in every
{Continued on page 62)

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HOW THE DESERT WAS TAMED

{Continued from page 61 )
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Different as they were in origin,
training, and life's experience, they
had some qualities in common.

They were lovers of truth. Nearly
all of them, only after long inquiry —
Brigham Young took two years to
make up his mind about "Mormon-
ism" — yielded to the new message,
and then because doctrine for doc-
trine they found the scriptures and
"Mormon" claims to be in harmony.
Those alone to whom truth loomed
large would make the sacrifices re-
quired, parting with old and cher-
ished beliefs, facing contempt and
ridicule, separating from family and
friends, and often adopting a new
land with new ways. That same love
of truth explains today the educa-
tional growth among the "Mormon"
people, now second to none in the
world.

Then, they had a common pur-
pose. They were to prepare the
world for the Lord's coming; they
were to build on earth the kingdom
of God; they were, because of their
acceptance of truth, a chosen peo-
ple; they had a mission to perform.
To have available three meals a day
and the other usual creature com-
forts would not satisfy them or be
the end of their existence. They had
a spiritual purpose. Whatever they
did — plowing, building, or explor-
ing, was done to establish the king-
dom of God. With such a common
purpose, minor differences vanished;
the people moved forward as one
body to accomplish desired ends.
Such a group is always irresistible.
For them the taming of the desert,
or other huge tasks, could have no
terror. They had the courage born
of the conviction that they were on
the Lord's side. They were ready to
surrender themselves and all they
had to the cause in which they be-
lieved, which was the common cause
of the pioneers. By such surrender
a group is always victorious.

It took faith, vision, and courage
to project a great city in the Salt
Lake valley, before a dwelling house
was built, or to lay the foundations
of the four million dollar temple,
while sagebrush still grew in the
streets of Salt Lake City. But this il-
lustrates the unique quality of the
people, which made them conquerors
of the desert.

"Mormon" migration to Utah
was orderly and proceeded accord-

ing to careful planning by the
Church. This was in great contrast
to the helter-skelter, hurried travel
of other homeseekers or gold seek-
ers along the trails to Oregon or Cal-
ifornia. Before the people left Nau-
voo, they were organized in com-
panies, each with officers to lead,
guide, or restrain. When the major
and more difficult crossing of the
plains began, the word of the Lord
came to Brigham Young, outlining in
detail the organization of the emi-
grant companies. The emigrants
were to be organized with "captains
of hundreds, captains of fifties, and
captains of tens, with a president and
his two counselors at their head."
They were further to covenant that
they would walk in "all the ordi-
nances of the Lord." No military
movement could have been planned
or executed better. The successful
moving of a whole city, and of innu-
merable people later, over desert and
mountain, under conditions strange
to the travelers, is an achievement
second to none in history's annals
It was made possible not only by
skilful leaders of huge natural gifts,
but also because the people were of
high intelligence and were so certain
of their destiny under the gospel
banner that they were willing to con-
form to the regulations laid down.

The conquerors of the desert were
fitted for the task before them. They
were strong men and women.

Many a problem now disturbing
the countries of the world would
vanish if men had a common pur-
pose. The United States came into
being because the majority of the
people of the colonies were united in
their desire for liberty. Within our
own age, countries have suffered
irreparable shock, through division
among themselves. Even evil gains
strength when many men support it.
A group or a nation united upon a
common righteous principle will in
the end be successful in solving its
problems. When many countries do
so, the world's problems will be
solved. That happy condition, when
it comes, will not mean the end of
independent thinking or free speech.
Nor does it mean restricted action.
But it does mean that whatever is
thought, said, or done, should in the
end contribute to the common pur-
pose, which in our land would mean
a higher and more complete freedom.
( To be continued )

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

EVIDENCES AND RECONCILIATIONS

(Concluded from page 33)
and Alphonso Young, James Em-
mett, George D. Watt, and Daniel
Spencer were requested to go.

"Voted the above persons to be
notified to meet with the council on
Friday evening next, at the assembly
room.

"Willard Richards, Clerk."*

Two days later on the 23rd of
February, the Prophet met with the
Twelve concerning the expedition.

"I told them I wanted an explora-
tion of all that mountain country . . .
'Send twenty-five men: let them
preach the gospel wherever they go.
Let that man go that can raise $500,
a good horse and mule, a double-bar-
rel gun, one-barrel rifle, and the
other smooth bore, a saddle and
bridle, a pair of revolving pistols,
bowie-knife, and a good sabre. Ap-
point a leader, and let them beat up
for volunteers. I want every man
that goes to be a king and a priest.
When he gets on the mountains he
may want to talk with his God;
when with the savage nations have
power to govern, etc. If we don't get
volunteers, wait till after the elec-
tion.

There was no lack of volunteers.
Within a week over twenty men had
volunteered." The proposed expedi-
tion was widely known. In a letter
written to James Arlington Bennett,
March 4, 1844, Willard Richards,
under the Prophet's instruction,
says, "We are now fitting out a
noble company to explore Oregon
and California."7 On March 11,
the Prophet spoke to the Council
about the desirability of securing "a
resting place in the mountains, or
some uninhabited region, where we
can enjoy the liberty of conscience
guaranteed to us by the Constitu-
tion of our country."8 Anticipating
this westward movement, the Proph-
et also wrote and sent to Congress,
"An Ordinance for the Protection of
the Citizens of the United States
Emigrating to the Territories, and
for the Extension of the Principles
of Universal Liberty."9 This docu-
ment, which Congress ignored, was
clearly designed to protect the mi-
gration of the whole people after a
suitable location had been found.

tibid.. VI:223

Bibid., VI:224 (The national election would be held
the following November.)
«ibid., VI:223-227
■'ibid., VI:232
8ibid., VI: 261
eibid.. VI 1 275

JANUARY 1947

During this time, while the ex-
pedition was being formed, the per-
secutions of the people reached an
unprecedented height. At last, the
life of the Prophet was seriously en-
dangered. For his own safety, he
left Nauvoo, and as would appear
from the records, intended to go
westward himself, to explore the
country. He was recalled to Nauvoo
before the journey had begun, and,
on June 27, he and his brother Hy-
rum were foully assassinated.

There can be no question about
Joseph Smith's intention to move the
Latter-day Saints to some favorable
spot among the Rocky Mountains.10

After the martyrdom, the Twelve,
with Brigham Young at the head,
took over the leadership of the
Church. The death of Joseph Smith
had not stilled persecution. An
exodus from Nauvoo was inevitable.
Several places of refuge were pre-
sented, as Texas and Vancouver Is-
land, but in accordance with Joseph's
prophecy, the then unknown west
among the Rocky Mountains was
chosen, and the memorable west-
ward migration began.

Brigham Young in all that he did,
repeatedly admitted the leadership
of Joseph Smith, even in the journey
to the Great Salt Lake valley. For
example, this on March 16, 1856:

"The Prophet Joseph has been
referred to, and his prophecy that
this people would leave Nauvoo and
be planted in the midst of the Rocky
Mountains. We see it fulfilled . . .
it was declared to the people long
before we left Nauvoo."u

That the famous trek from Nau-
voo to Salt Lake valley was a fulfil-
ment of prophecy, does not detract
from the glorious achievement of
Brigham Young and his fellow pio-
neers. That he repeatedly admitted
it, publicly and privately, and gave
the Prophet proper credit, rather en-
hances the greatness of the foremost
pioneer. President Young's loyalty
to the Prophet was always unsullied.
To him, the Prophet was the great
restorer of the Lord's eternal truth.
His own magnificent work in car-
rying out the prophecy, subduing the
desert, and finding peace for his
people, made him one of the world's
really great men. — J. A. W.

uSee also B. H. Roberts, Succession in the Presi-
dency of the Church, Second Edition, pp. 113-117

^Journal of Discourses. 111:257, 258. See also IV:
203: VIII:356

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URPHGIm

Robert L. Walton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Walton has a most
unusual number of grandmothers.

They are, top row, left to right: Mrs. L. J. Storer, Mrs. William Wal-
ton, and Mrs. Lyle Walton.

Front row: Mrs. Fred Storer, Mrs. Mark Herd, Robert, and Mrs. John
Johnson. At the time of his birth his great-great-grandmother Herd
was 79 and his youngest grandmother, Mrs. Lyle Walton, was 36.

Reynolds, Georgia
Dear Editors:

Just a word to thank you for such a magazine as the Era. Not
living near enough to any branch of the Church to contact
other members, the Era is like a visit from one of the General
Authorities. And we thank God and you for this wonderful
messenger. . . .

Susie R. Cotney and family

-§-

A Mouthful

"You take another mouthful like that," said the stern father,
"and you'll leave the table."

"Another mouthful like that, Dad, and I'll be through, any-
way."

Gentle Hint

"You've been a pretty sick man, and you're not very strong
yet. Try to be careful."

"All right — and you remember that, too, doctor, when you
send your bill."

''Where There's A Will..."

Some people are planning a Scotch vacation again this year —
staying at home and letting their minds wander.

The Wrong Approach

"The thing for you to do, young man, is to forget all your
troubles and bury yourself in your work."
"Gosh — -and me a well-digger."

Cart Before the Horse

"Won't you drop my coat off in town when you go?"

"Sure — where do you want me to drop it?"

"I'll tell you when we get there — I'll be inside it."

The High Cost

"I've put a fortune into my daughter's face!"

"Plastic surgeons' bills mount up?"

"No. It's her appetite that keeps me broke."

Secret Diplomacy

Actually, women keep secrets as well as men — it just takes
more of them.

The Answer

Nature couldn't make us perfect, so she did the next best
thing — blinded us to our own faults.

He Didn't Give Two Toots

The young man entered a jewelry store to buy an engage-
ment ring.

He picked up a sparkling diamond and asked its price.

"That one is one hundred dollars," the jeweler replied.

The young man whistled in surprise. He pointed to another
ring and asked: "How about that one?"

"That one, sir," said the jeweler, "is two whistles!"

Reason Enough

"Do you know why I refused you?", said the girl to the
man that had just asked her to marry him.
"I can't think."
"That's right," she said sweetly.

Economy Plus

An economist can be defined many ways:

Someone who has a plan to do something with someone else's
money.

A man who tells you what to do with your money after you
have done something else with it.

A man who can save money by cutting down on some other
person's expenses.

It Always Works

When you need a helping hand — try the one at the end of
your own arm.

Style Note

As for many years past, next year will find little change in
men's pockets.

It Always Broadens Something

"They tell me Jones has traveled extensively. Has it broad-
ened his point of view?"

"Can't say that it has-— but it's sure lengthened his con-
versation."

Utah Stake r/./. A., ProYO, Utah, boasts one hundred percent attendance of all the Junior M.I. A. girls between the ages of 15 and 76 enrolled. The
Stake Rose Bouquet was tied November 8, 1946. Bach of the ten wards previously tied the bouquet in the individual wards. There were one hundred six-
teen girls in all. Sister Zelma W. Colton is president of the stake Y.W.M.I.A.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

To a man counting the days

Just waiting gets on a fellow's
nerves, we know. But cooping
yourself up won't speed the
welcome word— "IT'S HERE!"
So until your new car arrives,
let Chevron Supreme Gasoline
help you have more fun in the
old one. This great premium
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To make this possible a spe-
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA

RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED
SALT LAKE CITY 1, UTAH

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RAMPART OF PROTECTION

Through cloud and storm, sunlight and darkness, here is enduring
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sufficient life insurance.

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